


I Get All Paranormal

by Justspookythingz



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Fringe (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Happy Ending, I love these spooky boys, M/M, Multiverse, Science Fiction, This is a love letter to Astrid Farnsworth, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25134307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justspookythingz/pseuds/Justspookythingz
Summary: “Fuck any monsters lately, Mulder?” Shane whispered so only Ryan could hear.“Madej, I swear to god—““What’re you gonna do, little man?”Or - Shane and Ryan are just two guys being dudes, y'know, just two dudes blasting holes in the multiverse
Relationships: Peter Bishop/Olivia Dunham, Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally my first fanfic in a decade. Also, I'm a grown-ass woman writing BFU and Fringe crossover fic, and I've lost control of my life. Also, title comes from the song "Paranormal" by HumorUs, it's basically the soundtrack to this fic.
> 
> Gimme some sweet validation, spooky babes <3
> 
> Also, come find me on Tumblr at crawlacrossthesaltflats

Ryan woke up. Briefly disoriented, and totally exhausted, he groaned, rubbing his dry eyes. Rolling over, he noted the half-empty bottle of vodka and empty pizza box sitting next to his bed. 

“Classy,” he muttered. 

Ryan fumbled for his phone: 5:26am. His first alarm was due to go off in just half an hour. Ryan grabbed a pillow, intending to pull it over his head, when a blinding flash of light made him freeze. 

Any lingering grogginess quickly faded, leaving Ryan tense and alert. Then, another brilliant, blinding flash of light, seeming to emanate from the other side of his room. Then, nothing. Ryan waited, still clutching his pillow, heart pounding.

“What the fuck,” he whispered, barely audible.

Then, _bang_. Ryan’s chest constricted at the thump inside his closet. Ryan decided, hysterically, that he must still be asleep, because _this was not happening, oh my god, not happening._ Then, again, a bang, followed by the shuffling, crashing sound of clothing and hangers falling to the wooden floor. Then, finally—

“What the fuck,” a frustrated, muffled voice came from his closet.

“H-hello?” Ryan swallowed at the way his voice cracked.

For a moment, nothing. Then, the closet door burst open, revealing a tall, thin man. Ryan screamed, short and piercing, and the man’s mouth dropped open a little in surprise, his eyebrows rising.

“That was impressive.”

“Dude, what the _fuck_ ,” Ryan demanded.

“Where am I?” Tall guy asked, looking bemused. He cautiously stepped out of the closet. His light brown hair was a mess, his clear plastic glasses sitting slightly askew on his nose.

 _Oh shit he’s hot_ , Ryan thought desperately, then muttered frantically, “Okay, okay, not the time, ooookaaay jesus, what the fuck is happening, am I still fucking blasted, am I dreaming, are you about to serial kill me, or, jesus, what if I’ve finally fucking lost it oh my god I’m hallucinating, I’ve lost my—“

“Heyyy little buddy,” Tall guy interrupted, holding out his hands placatingly, “It’s okay, we’re okay, I’m not gonna hurt you. But can you please tell me where the fuck I am?”

“If you’re real, that means you…what, broke into my fucking house? And you’ve been creeping in my closet, waiting for me to wake up?”

“Look, little buddy—“

“I’m a full-grown man.”

“Look, _full-grown man—_ “

“Oh my _god_ , my name is Ryan,”

Tall guy grinned, “Ok. Look, Ryan. I don’t know where the fuck I am. I’m probably dreaming right now. I saw a bunch of light, and now I’m here. I’m sure there’s some sort of reasonable explanation—"

“Oh my god, you’re crazy,” Ryan whispered, “You’re a lunatic who, what, blacked out and broke into my apartment?”

Tall guy frowned, which seemed to unnerve Ryan, who dragged himself back a few inches.

“Look, I’m not crazy. Well, I guess that’s just what a crazy person would say, isn’t it,” Tall guy said thoughtfully. “But either way, I need to figure out how to wake up cause this dream is starting to kinda weird me out—”

“If you’re dreaming, then why are you in my house? Like, I know I’m not dreaming right now, which just means you’re nuts.”

Tall guy sighed, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. “Okay, so not a dream. Which means this is probably a psychotic break. So that’s fun. Can you at least tell me where I am right now?”

“Uh, Boston? In my apartment in Brookline? Look buddy, do you need me to call someone, cause you clearly are not okay right now…”

Tall guy froze at this, frowning. “Is this a joke, like did someone put you up to this? I was literally just sitting on my bed, _in LA_ …so unless playing Pokemon is some new form of teleportation—“

“Okay. Okay okay okay, so like, either you teleported, you’re crazy, or like, maybe you died? Wait, oh my god, what if you’re dead and just don’t know it?”

Ryan was interrupted by his blaring phone alarm, causing him to jump and let out a strangled noise. Tall guy grinned, and Ryan muttered, “Shut up.”

“Hey, I said nothing, here I am, not saying anything…”

Ryan just rolled his eyes before dragging himself out of bed.

“Look, Tall guy—“

“Shane,” Tall guy provided helpfully.

“Okay, look, Shane, you gotta go, I have to be at work in like an hour. I can call someone if you, like, need help or whatever.”

“Dude, are you actually just gonna ignore the fact that a strange man just appeared in your closet after falling through some fucked up wormhole, and, what, go to work like normal?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Ryan called back, as he made his way into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked.

Shane meandered over to outside the bathroom door, leaning against the wall.

“Look, what do you remember?” Ryan called over the sound of running water.

“Like I said, I’m sitting in bed, chilling, relaxing…chillaxing, if you will…And there’s like a flash of light? Like I thought it was lightning or whatever, and then bang.”

“Bang?”

“There’s nothing but light, sound, then black, then I’m blasted into your closet.”

“What if you’re actually dead right now?”

“Then I sure am talking a lot for a dead person.”

“Okay, then, what, you fell through, like, an actual wormhole?”

Silence. Then, “What year is it?”

“Okay, you’re actually nuts—“

“Just humor me, what year is it right now? Like, what’s the date? Who’s president?”

Ryan spoke garbled and wet through his toothbrush, “It’s 2020, I dunno the exact date, it’s mid—March, and uhhh, I don’t wanna talk about that last question.”

“Say it, don’t spray it,” Shane muttered, sounding distracted.

“Huh?” 

“Nothing. Okay, so either I’ve had some sort of psychotic break, or, like, I just time traveled two years and teleported across the country.” Shane laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. “This isn’t an elaborate prank, is it? Did Sara put you up to this?”

“Dude,” Ryan protested as he came out of the bathroom, dressed in a hoodie and jeans, his dark hair now an intentional mess, “First off, I dunno who that is, second off—“

A tremendous bang resonated through the apartment, causing Ryan to jump _again_. 

“FBI, come out with your hands up,” a stern voice shouted from Ryan’s living room.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, what the fuck,” Ryan muttered, dropping to the floor. “Dude, are you, like, a criminal or something, what the _fuck_ —“

“ _No,_ ” Shane hissed, indignant, “I work at a lesbian coffee shop—”

“Wait, what makes it a lesbian—“

“Is this really the time?”

“Okay, okay, look. Let’s just go out there and tell them this is a big misunderstanding, I’m sure they’ve just, I dunno, got the wrong place?”

Shane army-crawled towards Ryan until they were lying next to each other on their stomachs between Ryan’s bed and the window. “Do they sound like they have the wrong place?” Shane whispered as people could be heard presumably destroying Ryan’s apartment.

“They better not touch my fucking playstation.”

Shane paused, then grinned at Ryan, his eyes crinkling.

 _I’m so fucked_ , Ryan thought somewhat hysterically, his palms suddenly sweating.

“Okay, look,” Shane whispered, reaching out to grasp Ryan’s shoulder, “We should figure out what the fuck is going on before we let the fucking feds detain us.”

“Dude, you don’t gotta tell me twice to stay the fuck away from law enforcement.”

“All cops are bastards,” Shane said quietly with a wink, before kneeling in front of the window. “Fire escape ho!” Shane wriggled his long, gangly limbs through the window before reaching a hand through to Ryan.

“I’ve actually lost it,” Ryan muttered, before grasping Shane’s hand and pulling himself headfirst through the window.

——————

Ryan and Shane were striding down a dirty alleyway in the golden morning sunlight. A rat the size of Ryan’s face darted in front of them before scurrying into a dumpster. Ryan jumped, let out a quiet _ugh_ , and Shane laughed.

“City livin’ baby!” Shane crowed.

“Could you keep it down? We’re literally on the run from the FBI right now. Hey, hang on, why the _fuck_ are we on the run from the FBI…This is, like, a really bad dream, like am I actually in a nightmare right now?”

“I know I’m the stuff of nightmares, baby, but you don’t gotta just come out and say it to my face, I mean—”

“Okay, just, stop for a second,” Ryan pulled Shane into an arched brick doorway at the end of the alley. “What’s the plan here, literally what are we doing?”

Shane paused, his expression serious, before saying, “Look, I don’t know what’s happening for sure, but I think we need to figure it out before we let a bunch of cops drag us away for who knows how long. I’ve been detained before. It was terrifying. I was locked up for days, no phone calls, no lawyers—“

“You totally are a criminal—“ Ryan looked perturbed.

Shane sighed, “I told you, I’m a barista, but I used to be big into protesting. I mean, I guess I still am, I just…” Shane trailed off, rubbing his eyes, setting his glasses askew.

Ryan rubbed a hand down his face, before saying, “Okay, so there’s no chance they could be after you for that?”

“No,” Shane folded his arms, leaning against the dirty brick archway. “It’s been, like, two years since that happened.”

“Okay,” Ryan huffed out a breath, “So then, what, the feds are after you for traveling through time?”

“We don’t even know that’s what happened—“

“Dude, you said it yourself!”

“Yeah, but like, come _on_ , it’s totally ridiculous, there’s gotta be a reasonable scientific explanation for what’s happening here.”

Suddenly, a black SUV came to a screaming halt at the end of the alleyway, less than ten feet from where Ryan and Shane were huddled.

“Oh _shit,_ ” Ryan hissed, looking up at Shane in panic. Shane’s face was stony as he stepped out, in between Ryan and the car. A glance down the alley showed a similar vehicle at the other end.

A woman wearing a navy suit stepped out of the driver’s side, her long golden hair pulled into a French braid.

“Ryan Bergara?” She called. Ryan and Shane recognized her voice from the apartment.

“Who’s asking?” Shane called back.

“Olivia Dunham, FBI”

“FBI? No thanks, we’re good!”

A man came around the other side of the SUV, looking far too scruffy to be a federal agent. His hands were in the pockets of his frayed jeans, a friendly smile on his face.

“I’m not FBI. Name’s Peter Bishop. We just wanna talk.”

“Are we under arrest?” Ryan asked, slowly coming out of the entryway to stand beside Shane. Shane glanced down, his eyebrows up, and Ryan gave him a short nod.

“No—“ Peter began, holding his hands out, placating.

“Then we’re done here,” Shane bit out.

“Did anything strange happen at, like, 5:30 this morning?” Peter asked.

“What do you know?” Ryan asked quickly, ignoring Shane’s annoyed look.

“Why don’t you fellas come talk to us? You’re not being detained or arrested, we just wanna go somewhere private to talk.”

Shane let out a derisive snort, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”  
“Look,” Peter cautiously stepped closer, hands still held up. “Do I look like a cop? I’m basically the opposite, so trust me, I get it. I don’t trust cops either.”

Olivia threw him an exasperated look.

“Okay,” Peter revised, “so I trust, like, one cop. Maybe two. But these guys aren’t normal feds. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on, and it would help a lot if we could go over what happened this morning.”

Ryan and Shane looked at each other. Considering they had just met an hour ago, the silent conversation they held was impressive. Shane squeezed Ryan’s shoulder before letting go, and Ryan thought, somewhat hysterically, that time travel and running from the feds were apparently great ways to bond. He couldn’t help the nervous, hysterical laughter from bursting forth, and Shane snorted.

“I’m gonna be hella late to work,” Ryan noted.

“Dude, I’m, like, two years late to work, apparently…” Shane muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

“What the fuck,” Ryan stopped dead in his tracks, Shane bumping into him. They stood in the doorway of a lab at Harvard that looked like something out of a 1980s horror movie. Terrifying metal devices were strewn among flasks and glass jars full of food and human body parts. In the corner, a cow snorted loudly, causing Ryan to jump.

Shane peered around Ryan, his mouth slightly open. “Is that a body?” he asked quietly, pointing and looking fascinated.

“Oh jesus, we’re gonna be serial murdered,” Ryan wheezed out, spotting the gurney containing a human-shaped form under a white sheet.

“Oh, not to worry, not to worry, that was not my doing, although, for all I know it could’ve been…I’ve yet to come up with a cause of death, and my memory isn’t the best,” An older man with messy gray hair and a white lab coat was walking towards them.

“Uhhhhh” Ryan muttered nervously, backpedaling into Shane. 

“Hello! I’m Dr. Walter Bishop. I heard you two boys had quite an adventure this morning,” Walter winked, holding his hand out to Ryan, who looked mildly terrified.

“What is this place?” Ryan asked, ignoring Walter’s hand.

“It’s a freak show!” Peter called, striding towards them with cups of coffee.

Ryan and Shane took the coffee, as Walter wandered off towards the body.

“Walter, come on, let’s talk to these guys. You can work on that later,” Peter gestured at Ryan and Shane, who cautiously made their way into the lab.

Ryan and Shane walked over to a counter where Olivia was sitting, paging through the contents of a manilla folder.

“Take a seat,” Peter dragged out two stools, and Walter wandered over, fiddling with a small, rectangular device. Ryan and Shane sat down, only for Ryan to leap up a moment later, as Walter pointed the device at his head. 

“Dude, what—“ Ryan began.

Walter hummed thoughtfully, seeming not to notice Ryan’s discomfort. “There’s very mild residual radiation, but I’d wager that _you_ —“ Walter pointed the device suddenly at Shane’s head, and the device began beeping rapidly, “You were the one who traveled, were you not?”

“Is that a _geiger counter?_ ” Shane asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Walter quirked a smile, “Although, I have made some of my own, uh, modifications,” Walter lifted his hand to his mouth like he was divulging a great secret.

Ryan slowly sat back down, and Shane looked slightly perplexed.

Olivia spoke up, “Why don’t we start at the beginning. What happened this morning?”

Ryan and Shane both began to speak, and Ryan nodded at Shane to go first. Shane began to explain, but he was interrupted by Walter upon describing the flashes of light.

“When you saw this, this light…did you experience anything else? Any discomfort, loss of consciousness, did you feel or see anything else?” Walter asked earnestly.

“Uhh not really?” Shane looked troubled. “I mean, I might have lost consciousness, like just for a moment? Like, all I saw was blinding white light, and my ears hurt, then it was just pitch black, and I was sitting in this little guy’s closet, across the country and two years in the future.”

Olivia and Peter shared a meaningful look.

“Okay, so what is this, is this, like, a conspiracy?” Ryan interjected. “Is this something you guys are, what, investigating? Does the FBI investigate time travel?”

“Look, kid, we’re not really your normal brand of FBI,” Peter grinned. “We’re part of a team called the Fringe Division. When something weird and inexplicable happens, they call us.”

“This isn’t the first time, is it,” Shane said, a statement rather than a question.

“This is the fourth case we’ve encountered,” Olivia replied, finally setting down the manilla folder and looking right at Shane. “However, this is the first case without a body.”

“I’m sorry, without a _body?_ ” Ryan repeated.

Walter nodded, “Yes, uh, unfortunately, my boy, you,” he pointed at Shane, “are the first one to have survived the displacement in spacetime.”

“Well, that’s nice, it’s, uh, really nice not being dead,” Shane ran a hand through his messy hair, disheveling it further. “Jesus christ, this is surreal.”

“It only gets weirder from here,” Peter grinned.

——————

“Guys? I brought pastries,” a woman’s voice called from the entrance of the lab. “Oh! Hello, you must be Ryan and…?”

“Shane.”

“I’m Astrid,” she smiled warmly, setting a brown paper bag on the counter, before brushing a few stray black curls out of her face. “I brought some extra bear claws. I heard we were having visitors.” 

Ryan liked her immediately.

“Astro!” Walter called.

Astrid rolled her eyes at Ryan and Shane.

“Dear, could you be a lamb and help me find my bone saw? I was certain I left it next to the waffle iron, and I need to get started on this gentleman here as soon as possible.”

Ryan looked vaguely nauseated, setting his pastry back down.

“Here, come on, you guys can come back here,” Peter gave them a knowing look before leading them through a door in the back of the lab, into a warmly lit, cluttered office 

“It’s too early for bone saws,” Shane muttered before chugging down the rest of his coffee.

Olivia strode into the office, her phone held up to her ear, “Yes, sir…Yes…We’ll be there right away.”

“We got another one?” Peter asked, already grabbing his coat off of a chair in the corner.

“It doesn’t sound good,” Olivia replied. She glanced at Ryan and Shane. “You two need to stay here until Walter’s had a look at you.”

“Uhhhhh,” Ryan looked alarmed.

“You’ll be fine, just ask Astrid if you need anything,” Peter reassured. “Hey, Walter!” He called out into the lab. “Stop playing with the body and finish looking at these guys so we can get them out of here!”

“What? No, Peter, they cannot leave,” Walter protested earnestly as he strode towards the office. “They are our only solid, living lead! The young man who traveled needs to be studied!”

Shane and Ryan glanced at each other, concerned.

“Walter, his name is Shane. And we’re not studying them, we’re trying to help them.”

“Semantics,” Walter muttered. “Well, in any case,” he clapped his hands together. “Come along Mr. Shane, I shall need some samples from you. It should be painless. Mostly.”

“Don’t worry, big guy,” Ryan said quietly upon seeing Shane’s strained expression.

Shane sighed, “This day literally could not get weirder. Let’s get this over with.”

———

Olivia stepped out of the SUV onto a gravel driveway, brushing some stray hair out of her face. 

“Broyles, what do we got?” Peter asked as he stepped out of the passenger side. A tall, bald man with a serious expression was approaching them.

“Another body,” Broyles responded.

“Same as the others?” Olivia asked, as they all walked towards a vacant lot of grass and gravel, cordoned off with police tape.

Broyles nodded, “Burned to a crisp. Pedestrians nearby reported bright flashes of light before its arrival. No identification on this one, but the clothes?” Broyles paused, looking at Olivia. “They’re not from around here.”

“Let me guess, when you say ‘not from around here,’ you’re not just talking about our location,” Peter grinned sardonically, his hands stuck deep in his coat pockets.

“I’m no expert, but my guess?” Broyles glanced at Peter. “18th-century, at the latest.”

“That would make this the oldest one yet,” Olivia noted, lifting up the police tape for Peter.

“I know I say this all the time, but this case could not get weirder,” Peter shook his head, smiling at Olivia warmly.

Olivia fought back a smile, “Peter, you know better than to say something like that.”

———

Astrid sat down next to Ryan and Shane, who had just had samples taken from virtually every part of his body, along with samples from every item of clothing he currently had on. He looked distinctly grumpy, hiding his face behind his mug of coffee.

“Thank you guys for being so helpful,” Astrid said quietly.

“What choice do we have,” Shane muttered darkly, and Ryan smacked him on the arm.

“It was no problem,” Ryan smiled at Astrid.

Shane scoffed, “Yeah, sure, no problem for _you_ , you didn’t just get a spinal tap!”

Ryan winced, “Look, big guy, they’re trying to help us—”

“Us? You’re not the one who just got blasted through a vortex into a different year!” Shane exclaimed, standing up, starting to pace. “You can just go on home any time you want, but me? My friends have been missing me for _two years._ How do I just go home after this?”

Ryan looked down, studying his feet.

“Hey,” Astrid interjected gently, “We don’t know for sure what happened yet. I’ve seen some pretty crazy things, and if anyone can get you back to your own time, it’s Walter. Just give him some time, he’ll figure it out.”

Shane dropped back into his chair, suddenly looking exhausted.

“Shane,” Ryan said quietly.

Shane just sighed, holding his bowed head in his hands.

“Look, I’m not going anywhere. You can stay with me as long as you need. They’ve got, like, an actual mad scientist, like basically out of a movie, working on this. We’ll figure it out.”

“God, it’s past my bedtime” Shane muttered, not looking up.

“Now that’s something I can help you with,” Astrid declared, standing up. “Come on, we’ve got a bed made up in the back. Walter sometimes spends the night here…But don’t worry, I just cleaned the sheets.”

Shane looked at Ryan as he stood up, his expression wary.

“I’ll still be here,” Ryan said quietly.

Shane just nodded silently before following Astrid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've definitely stolen some lines straight from Fringe, but eh.
> 
> Leave me some love, spooky babes


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan sat next to Astrid at an old wooden desk in a corner of the lab. She was working on something on the computer that was definitely beyond him.

“What are you working on?” He asked quietly so as not to disturb Walter, who was muttering manically to himself, slamming things around as he prepared slides for his microscope.

“I’ve been trying to analyze a driver’s license we found on one of the bodies.”

“Did you learn anything?”

“Well,” Astrid sighed. “I’m not sure this is going to work…this is kind of my last hope. All the official data retrieval and image analyzing software haven’t come up with anything. I just wrote the program that’s analyzing it this morning.”

“Holy shit,” Ryan looked impressed.

Astrid smiled, “Don’t be too impressed, I still don’t know if this is going to work.”

A loud crash echoed from the direction of the office, causing Walter to drop a tray full of scalpels.

“Shane?” Ryan called out, sounding concerned.

No response.

“Hey, big guy, you okay?” Ryan called, now walking quickly towards the back room, only to jump as Shane burst through the cracked door, looking frantic.

“What the fuck is this,” Shane demanded, looking around the room.

“Hey, Shane—“ Ryan held his hands out, taking a couple cautious steps forward.

“No, fuck you, buddy. Are you in on this? Is this all some sick joke?” Shane was almost yelling at this point.

“Shane,” Ryan’s voice cracked slightly, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

“Tell me what the fuck this is.”

“Hey, Shane,” Astrid called gently, not moving. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

Shane let out a slightly hysterical laugh, “Yeah, I tried looking myself up, and I’m _dead._ All my friends think I’m dead.” He pulls out his phone and begins to read, “‘Shane Madej, of Chicago, passed away at the age of 28 on June 11, 2014, after a motor vehicle accident…’ I’m 32 assholes, you couldn’t even get that right? If you’re gonna fuck with me, at least get it right.”

Ryan and Astrid exchanged concerned looks.

Shane suddenly sat on the two steps leading up to the office, covering his face with his hands.

“What the fuck,” Ryan hissed at Astrid, who looked worried. “What the fuck is going on here?”

“I think, I might have an idea,” Walter spoke up timidly, stepping over the discarded scalpels to walk towards Ryan and Astrid.

“Walter, what do you think is going on here?” Astrid asked cautiously.

“I believe that what we are dealing with here is not just wormholes through the spacetime of our universe…”

“Oh no,” Astrid said softly, realization dawning on her face.

“What? What is he talking about?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms, his face still distressed.

“I believe that these wormholes cut through both time and the fabric of reality. These…these portals are holes in the multiverse,” Walter gestured wildly.

Shane looked up. “The multiverse,” he repeated flatly.

“Yes! Yes, I believe you,” Walter points at Shane, “You, my boy, are from another universe.” Walter nodded his head once, looking immensely satisfied.

“No way,” Ryan looked floored.

“Okay, great, you all figured it out, wahoo!” Shane looked irate. “This is a hilarious prank, and I get it, you won! Let’s stop this bullshit now!”

“Shane,” Ryan said, looking at him pleadingly. “This isn’t a prank. Or if it is, someone got me too. You saw me freaking out this morning. I’m not exactly an actor, and I’m definitely not enough of an asshole to do this to someone.”

Shane visibly softened at Ryan’s expression.

“I know that right now this all sounds confusing and hard to believe,” Astrid spoke up, looking at Shane. “But this isn’t the first time we’ve encountered alternate universes—“

The lab door swung open as Olivia and Peter strode through, looking grim.

“Walter, we got another body for you!” Peter called, as two FBI agents followed them into the lab, pushing a gurney containing a black bag.

“Peter! We’ve had a breakthrough!” Walter sounded far too excited, grinning at Peter. “The young man who came through the wormhole is not from this universe.”

“Walter,” Olivia walked over to where Walter is standing next to Ryan and Astrid, dawning realization on her face. “Are you saying that Shane is from the alternate universe?”

“Not necessarily, no. He is from an alternate universe. One, perhaps, more similar to our own than the universe we are already familiar with.”

“So there’s more than just two,” Olivia looked slightly lost.

“I guess that’s why they call it the multiverse theory,” Peter commented, gazing at Olivia. “It makes sense that if there’s two, there could be more.”

“How are you guys not freaking out right now?” Ryan asked, looking at their faces in disbelief. “And how come he looks like…like a normal dude instead of an alien tentacle monster or something?” Ryan added, pointing at Shane.

“Kinky,” Shane muttered.

“You must open your mind, young man,” Walter took a few steps forward to put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. He gestured broadly with his other hand, explaining, “We have already proven the existence of at least two, now three, universes. We can extrapolate that the multiverse is infinite. There are infinite possible universes containing infinite versions of ourselves. Surely some of them contain tentacle monsters, but an infinite number of them contain versions of ourselves,” Walter was grinning at this point.

Ryan and Shane made eye contact, both looking slightly dazed.

Walter continued, still gesturing wildly, “Think of your life as a path. It begins as a straight line until you encounter a decision. With each decision you make, the other possibilities branch off into other universes. When you decided to have chocolate ice cream, another version of you has had vanilla!”

“Okay,” Shane stood up, looking around. “So I’m not convinced, I’ve yet to see any proof that I’m from another universe. And let’s say, just for a moment, that I am! How did I get here?” He gestured widely at this last point.

“That’s why they called us,” Peter explained. “We get involved when weird, inexplicable things start happening. These could be random events, but previous experience makes me think that someone, or something, is doing this intentionally.”

“Why would someone intentionally burn bodies to a crisp?” Astrid looked disturbed. “And why did Shane survive?”

“Hold up, can we go back for a sec?” Ryan’s eyebrows were drawn together, his expression somewhat nonplussed. “Can you elaborate on what previous experiences would make you guys think someone is intentionally creating wormholes between universes?”

Olivia spoke up, after sitting on a stool in front of a computer. “Our previous cases involved another universe.” 

She began pulling up grotesque, disturbing images that made Ryan slightly nauseous. Shane walked over to peer over her shoulder intently.

“Several years ago, a doorway was opened between our universe and another,” Olivia continued. “Since then, the fabric between our worlds has grown soft spots, causing scientific anomalies.”

Peter spoke up, striding over to look at the old case files on Olivia’s screen, “While a lot of the cases we’ve encountered were orchestrated by scientists using the universe as a lab, an equal number of cases were caused by the breach between our worlds.”

“Why would someone open a doorway between worlds?” Ryan sounded baffled.

A pause followed his question, during which Olivia and Peter exchanged looks. Walter looked at his feet uncomfortably.

“It was a long time ago,” Astrid said cautiously. “What matters is that opening the doorway has caused some significant tensions between our worlds. Opening a hole in the fabric of reality? That has consequences. People have tried to take advantage of the existence of the alternate universe. The soft spots alone have been causing chaos in both worlds.”

Walter spoke up, his voice wavering slightly, “Now, we have new tears opening in the fabric of reality. I fear to think of what the consequences may be.”“I think we’ve already seen some of the consequences,” Peter said darkly, gesturing to the two bodies.

“Okay. Okaaaay,” Ryan huffed out. “So again, why did Shane survive?”

Shane’s face was perfectly blank.

“I am still trying to work that out,” Walter sounded frustrated as he moved towards the new body, sliding on light blue latex gloves. “Asterisk?”

“Yes, Walter,” Astrid sounded mildly exasperated.

“What progress have you made on identifying our first victim?” Walter asked.

Astrid walked over to the computer in the corner of the lab. She was silent as she spent a few moments typing.

“Guys, I think I’ve actually got something,” Astrid called, looking up at the others. “The driver’s license from the first body belonged to a Katherine Jacobs in New York.” Astrid paused, turning to the computer again. “Oh my god, she’s been missing for twelve years.”

Shane looked slightly sick at this.

“Okay, Astrid,” Olivia stood up as she spoke. “See what else you can find on her. If she’s from this universe, she could have been taken through a wormhole twelve years ago when she went missing. See if you can find any connection between her and Shane. This is the only lead we’ve got right now.”

——————

Shane and Ryan pulled up to Ryan’s apartment in their nondescript government sedan, courtesy of Olivia. Ryan pulled the car into a parking spot before they sat in silence for a moment.

“Wanna get pizza?” Ryan glanced at Shane.

“With beer?” Shane slumped down in his seat. “Soooo much beer.”

“Yes, please,” Ryan agreed, pulling the keys out of the ignition and stepping out. “There’s a great place a couple blocks from here, wanna walk over and pick something up?”

Shane climbed out of the car and nodded at Ryan.

———

“So these are pretty cool,” Ryan pulled out his plastic badge, labeled ‘FBI: Civilian Consultant.’ “Work can’t say shit after getting a letter from the FBI. Like, don’t get me wrong, cops are bastards, but some of the shit we saw today? This is basically the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He was sitting on his well-worn couch with Shane. Empty pizza boxes and beer bottles were strewn between them. Ryan was flushed from drinking and had been talking animatedly about their day. Shane looked more relaxed than Ryan had seen him since they met.

“I still can’t believe any of this is happening,” Shane commented, pulling out his own badge. “I still keep waiting for Sara to jump out and yell ‘Surprise, asshole!’”

“What the hell kind of friend would set you up like this?”

“I know she wouldn’t. None of my friends would. That’s the only reason I’m entertaining the possibility that this is all real.”

Ryan opened another beer and took a swig before replying, “Dude, you saw those pics. You saw the lab with, like, actual dead people in it.” He shuddered.

“Ooooh did the creepy dead people scare you, little man?” Shane teased.

“Hey, fuck you, ghosts are terrifying.”

“Hate to break it to you, bud, but ghosts aren’t real. Those were just rotting meat suits in there!” Shane replied jovially.

“Could you be any more gross?”

“Oh, absolutely.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love astrid a lot ok

After several days of hanging out in Walter’s lab, Ryan decided that literally nothing could phase him anymore. Shane was still firmly a skeptic, but watching the autopsy of a burnt body wearing the remnants of an early 18th-century French gown did a great deal to convince him.

Ryan and Shane were sitting on stools across from each other at the metal countertop, furiously eating a long-overdue lunch.

Astrid walked in from the back room, smiling. “Mmmm, the golden hour,” she said, indicating the warm late-afternoon sunlight streaming in through the small windows.

Ryan glanced up, shielding his eyes from the sun, “Hey Astrid,” he smiled warmly at her. Ryan glanced at Shane to see him gazing at Ryan before quickly looking away, focusing intently on his sandwich.

“Ryan, I wondered if you could look at something for me?” Astrid asked, making her way to the computer in the corner.

“Me?” Ryan sounded surprised, his voice horribly muffled around a bite of food, definitely spraying crumbs across the countertop.

“Nice,” Shane grinned, as Ryan flipped him off.

Astrid ignored them, answering Ryan, “I’ve been working on a program to help analyze the clothing samples. I’m trying my best to identify the other bodies. So far, Katherine Jacobs is the only one we’ve identified, and I can’t find any connection between her and Shane. If we knew more about the other bodies, we might be able to make a connection.”

“And you, uh, want my help?” Ryan wiped his hands off as he stood up and headed towards Astrid.

“Well, you work in IT, right? I just need another set of eyes. I’ve been staring at this so long, I think I’m starting to lose it.”

“I’ll see what I can do?” Ryan sat down next to Astrid, who grinned at him.

“That’s all I’m asking.”

——————

The next day dawned gray and decidedly wet. Ryan woke up immediately grumpy. He dragged himself out of his room, grumbling under his breath.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Shane asked as Ryan walked into the kitchen where Shane was already busy making coffee and breakfast.

Ryan stopped, suddenly struck by the sight of Shane, wearing star wars pajamas and a floral apron, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a spatula in the other.

“Ryan? You okay?” Shane asked as the silence stretched.

“Yeah,” Ryan’s voice cracked slightly, making Shane smile. “I’m good. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess.”

“Have you ever woken up on the right side?” Shane grinned, pressing a mug of coffee into Ryan’s hands.

Ryan just rolled his eyes before taking a sip of coffee.

“Hey,” Shane said from the stove, where he was flipping pancakes. “Wanna fuck off and do something fun today?”

“Dude, yes, please,” Ryan agreed emphatically. “We’ve been in that lab every day for the past week, I need a break from multiverse theory and dead bodies,”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my spooky-lovin’ boy?”

“We dem spooky boys.”

“Hey, spooky boy, I didn’t ask to get slammed through spacetime, this is your wet dream,” Shane looked at Ryan pointedly.

Ryan pinked slightly before saying, “Anyways, what did you wanna do today?”

“I’m down for whatever. This city is our oyster, baby!” Shane grinned.

——————

“So, where are we at?” Peter called, walking into the lab with a bag of takeout in one hand.

“No luck identifying the other bodies so far,” Astrid stood and stretched, yawning.

“Walter!” Peter called his father, who was completely engrossed in something under his microscope. “You got anything new on the bodies?”

“Oh, Peter! Why didn’t you say you were here?”

“I literally just walked in the door,” Peter rolled his eyes, affection clear in his slow grin. “Anyways, where are we at on this case?”

“The fabric samples are fascinating,” Walter explained, standing up and walking towards a marker board full of notes. “The samples suffered significantly less damage than the bodies themselves, and the damage is worse closer to the body.”

“It’s like the bodies burned from the inside,” Peter commented, furrowing his brows, takeout forgotten and hanging loosely at his side.

Olivia walked out of the back office, looking exhausted, glasses perched on the top of her head. She walked up to Peter, kissed him on the cheek, and grabbed the takeout from his hand.

Peter walked up to the marker board, surveying what they had so far. Written in Walter’s spiky, scrawling handwriting, the board read:

#1— Katherine Jacobs, 39yo F, NYC, 2008, found in empty hotel room, Brookline

#2— 8-12yo M, 1970s, found in Neponset River

#3— 40-50yo M, 2010-2016, found in abandoned house, Dorchester

#4— Shane Madej, 32yo M, LA (alternate universe?), 2018, found in Brookline apartment

#5— 20-30yo F, 1700-1750, found in vacant lot, Dorchester

Surrounding the messy chart were indecipherable notes about clothing and tissue samples.

Peter turned to Walter. “Is this another spontaneous combustion case?”

“That was my first thought as well,” Walter nodded. “However, neither Mr. Madej nor any of the bodies contained any traces of Cortexiphan. I posit that while these bodies burned from the inside, the catalyzing force was external.”

“Walter…would it be possible for someone to drain human energy?” Peter asked.

Walter froze, before striding towards Peter, his face alight. “Yes! Yes, son, that’s it! The amount of biological and atomic energy in a human body could theoretically provide adequate power to tear a hole in our universe!”

“So now we just gotta find out who’s burning people alive to create wormholes,” Astrid commented, as though this were a perfectly ordinary thing to say.

“And how,” Olivia commented, looking up from her stir fry. “We still don’t know how the hell this is happening.”

“I would hypothesize that there is some sort of device catalyzing this reaction,” Walter said thoughtfully, walking over to join Olivia. He picked through the bag of takeout before settling down next to her. “However, I don’t believe that whoever is doing this has full control. The bodies up to this point seem to not have any connection. The only unifying feature is they were all found in Boston.”

“Why is that always the case?” Peter groaned. “Freak accidents seem to just be drawn to us.”

——————

“Man, that was fucked up,” Ryan looked sweaty and pale. He and Shane were walking out of a movie theater into the pink glow of dusk.

“Yeah it was, I spilled like 20 bucks worth of popcorn.”

“Dude, I meant the terrifying, horrific movie I just had to endure,” despite his lingering nerves, Ryan looked thrilled.

Shane just watched him for a moment, smiling, as Ryan chattered on about the movie. Ryan noticed his silence and glanced up. “You good, big guy?”

“I’m great, little guy,” Shane stuck his hands into his pockets, leading Ryan to the car.

“Wanna do takeout again?”

Shane groaned, “I know you can live off pizza and beer forever, Bergara, but I’m an old man who needs his vegetables. I’m gonna get scurvy living with you.”

Ryan wheezed slightly at this. “Okay, first of all, you’re like three years older than me—“

“I’m in my 30s, a youngster like you wouldn’t understand. You lack the wisdom of old age,” Shane croaked out in an approximation of advanced age, as he mimed bending over a walker, squinting at Ryan through his glasses.

Ryan fought a grin, continuing, “Second of all, _scurvy_? Isn’t that the shit pirates used to get?”

“It’s the shit you’re gonna get if you don’t eat something other than pizza,” Shane rolled his eyes before folding his gangly limbs into the waiting car.

“So, you’re cooking then?” Ryan asked hopefully as he jammed the keys into the ignition.

Shane snorted, “Bud, you can’t cook Kraft mac and cheese without starting fires—“

“That was _one time_.”

——————

“We missed you guys,” Astrid smiled as Shane and Ryan walked into the lab. “You do anything fun yesterday?”

“Yeah, little guy basically pissed himself over a shitty horror movie,” Shane quirked his lips, looking at Ryan, who was indignant.

“Hey man, just cause you aren’t scared of literally anything—“ Ryan’s protests were interrupted by Peter and Olivia entering the lab with several cups of coffee.

“Jesus is real,” Ryan muttered, grabbing a coffee and chugging desperately. Shane watched him affectionately for a moment before making eye contact with Astrid, who smiled and raised her eyebrows. For some reason, Shane could feel his face heating at this, and he quickly looked away.

“Anyways, what’d we miss?” Ryan asked.

Peter handed out his remaining cups of coffee before ushering Shane and Ryan towards the marker board. He filled them in, as Olivia sat down and pulled out a manilla folder of grisly pictures, paging through it.

“Olivia, you’ve been looking at those photos for hours,” Astrid said gently as she stirred sugar into her coffee. “What are you hoping to find?”

Olivia ran a hand through her hair, which was hanging loose around her shoulders. “I don’t know, Astrid, I just feel like I’m missing something.”

Walter strode in from the back room, wearing only a maroon bathrobe, his feet bare.

“Walter,” Peter sighed. “Put some actual clothes on, please?”

“Son, the less restrictive nature of this robe is helping my thoughts flow freely,” Walter grinned, spinning around, his robe swirling around him.

“Is he high?” Shane looked torn between horror and amusement.

“Of course he’s high. He’s been high since the moment you guys showed up,” Peter said, exasperated, but fond.

“However, Mr. Madej, this morning I partook in a particularly delectable variety of my own design. I call it ‘Blueberry Web.’” Walter said to Shane conspiratorially.

“It’s too early for this shit,” Ryan commented in between sips of coffee.

——————

“Well that was pointless,” Ryan groaned as he and Shane collapsed on the sofa. The day had been relatively fruitless; the team was quickly running out of leads to investigate.

“These guys are my only shot at getting home, it’s not pointless,” Shane said, grabbing the remote to scroll through Netflix. At this, Ryan pointedly avoided eye contact.

Shane seemed to sense Ryan’s discomfort. He turned on the couch so he was facing Ryan. “Ryan,” he said quietly, “You know I gotta go home. I left my job, my friends, my cat? They’ll never know what happened if I don’t go back. I can’t do that to them.”

Ryan still looked determinedly at his hands, which were clasped around his knees.

“Ryan,” Shane said plaintively. “I’m grateful. You have to know that everything you’re doing for me means a lot. You’re a good friend, and I wouldn’t be surviving this without you.”

“You’re my friend.” Ryan hated how small his voice sounded.

“Hey, you’ve got other friends. You’ll be okay when I leave.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Ryan finally looked up and smiled. “Yeah, of course I’ll be okay, big guy.” The smile was too wide, his hands still clenched tightly around his knees.

Shane turned away, letting it go. “Horror and chill, baby?”

Ryan’s smile softened into something real. “Horror and chill.”

——————

Shane groaned and stood up from the stool where he had been paging through a textbook on 18th-century fashion. The team had taken to researching every possible lead in desperation.

“Sleeping on the couch for almost two weeks is not helping my old man back,” he commented. “And if I ever have to see another French dress, I’m blasting myself into the sun.”

Ryan wheezed before replying, “We can switch tonight. I’ll take the couch.” He stood up, heading to the door of the lab. “I’m gonna go on a coffee run. You want the usual?”

Shane simply nodded before sitting back down and opening the massive book again. “God, please let another wormhole take me anywhere but here.”

Astrid snorted as she walked in from the back office. “The 18th-century fashion not doing it for you?” She smiled at Shane. “We can switch if you want, I could use a break from researching spontaneous combustion.”

“You’re an actual angel,” Shane grinned at her before heading into the back room to gather her discarded books.

Ryan returned several minutes later clutching three coffees. He settled next to Shane, grabbing a book. They worked for a couple hours in relative silence until Peter came in with Walter and Olivia.

“Well that was a bust,” Peter said grimly.

“How was New York?” Astrid asked.

“Oh, you know, nothing like informing next of kin that their loved one is both dead and part of a classified FBI investigation,” Peter groaned as he collapsed into a chair.

“And on top of that, we got nothing,” Olivia looked frustrated as she walked over to steal a sip from Astrid’s coffee. “The family knew nothing. She was a middle school teacher with no record, no enemies, nothing that would make her stand out.”

Ryan glanced at his coffee. “Sorry, guys, if I had realized you were on your way back, I would’ve—“ Ryan stopped dead, seemingly dazed for a moment.

“Ryan?” Shane asked, looking up from his book, mildly concerned.

“Shane, I—“ Ryan looked suddenly frantic, and the entire team was blinded by pulsating, white light emanating from Ryan.

“Ryan!” Shane yelled, his eyes closed against the blinding light, desperately reaching towards Ryan’s stool, only to withdraw quickly at the immense heat.

“Walter, do something!” Peter yelled, as the pulsating crescendoed into a blinding flash of light and sound that left their ears ringing.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. Ryan was gone.

Shane sat, frozen, his hands clutched to his chest, staring in disbelief at where Ryan had been.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is riddled with plot holes don't @ me.
> 
> Also, I'm high-key ignoring the final season of Fringe and using my own apocalyptic future.

Shane was numb. He sat silently as Astrid looked at his hands, drove to Ryan’s apartment in silence, his mind blank. He fell into Ryan’s bed and stared at the ceiling for hours before falling into a fitful sleep.

He woke up furious. Forgoing breakfast, Shane dressed mechanically before driving to the lab.

“You need to fix this,” he called out, bursting into the lab. “All of this shit is normal for you guys, it all seems to surround you, so you need to figure it the fuck out because Ryan—“ his voice cracked, and Astrid hurried over to meet him.

“Hey,” she said softly, her eyes puffy and damp. She grabbed Shane’s hand and put a mug of coffee into it. “Did you eat?”

“Did I _eat_?” Shane sounded baffled. “How could I eat? My friend is missing, probably dead, and you’re asking me if I want breakfast?”

“Stop that,” Astrid sounded more firm, despite the renewed wet shine of her eyes. “We don’t know that he’s dead. And we need to take care of ourselves first. If we’re gonna figure this out and find him, we need to take care of ourselves.”

Shane looked momentarily devastated, his anger finally fading. “Sorry,” he said softly to Astrid.

“Hey,” Astrid folded her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay. I’m worried too. We’ll figure this out.”

Peter walked slowly out of the office, dark bags under his eyes, still wearing the same pullover and jeans from yesterday.

“Walter finally fell asleep,” he said quietly, rubbing his eyes. “He’s created and destroyed four prototypes so far.”

“He’s trying to make a wormhole?” Astrid asked, releasing her hold on Shane. “We don’t have any idea where Ryan went.”

“I will literally blast holes in the universe until I find him. I’m not giving up,” Shane looked determined.

“Neither are we,” Peter said, exhaustion evident in his voice.

“Where’s Olivia?” Astrid asked. “I thought she’d be here by now.”

“She spent the night in the lab, but she has a meeting with Broyles this morning to discuss what happened,” Peter stretched, before collapsing into a cushy armchair straight from the 1980s. “I’m gonna try to catch a few winks before Walter wakes up. Then we’re back at. We’re not giving up.”

——————

Ryan opened his eyes.

“Holy shit, I’m not dead,” he breathed, looking around. Ryan was standing in the middle of the lab. It was dark, and he was alone.

“Hello? Guys?” Ryan called tentatively. “Shane?”

As Ryan looked closer, he had the dawning realization that something was horribly wrong. The familiar countertops were coated in dust. Everywhere Ryan looked, panic rose up until it choked him. The familiar devices of the lab were covered in white sheets, a window in the corner was shattered onto the floor. The silence was deafening, as Ryan struggled to breathe.

Running for the door, Ryan ran down the deserted hall and stepped outside just to freeze. The campus was deserted. The sky was a heavy gray, and Ryan turned to look around frantically. Across the courtyard, Ryan could see police tape and warning signs that looked long-abandoned surrounding a tan mass, taller than a building. Ryan walked slowly towards the massive structure of amber, freezing when he saw a young woman encased within, her expression frozen in terror.

Ryan’s chest hurt, and he could feel himself sweating profusely as he ran back into the lab. Ryan clamped his hands over his mouth to stifle the urge to scream or cry. As soon as he thought it, Ryan could feel his eyes burning.

He rubbed at them furiously, muttering, “Okay, keep it together. You’re okay, you can figure this out. Don’t panic. You’re not dead, you’re gonna be okay.” He began to stride through the lab. “There’s gotta be something here that can help me. If I’m in another universe…” he trailed off, seeing a manilla folder labeled ‘RYAN’ sitting on Astrid’s dusty, ancient desk.

Somewhat frantically, he grabbed the folder and tore it open. A small piece of yellowed paper fluttered to the ground. In handwriting he recognized as Shane’s, big red letters read, ‘DON’T PANIC :)’ surrounded by little doodles of UFOs and aliens. Seeing the arrow in the bottom corner, Ryan turned over the paper to see Walter’s scrawl: ‘To find what you are looking for, venture into the amber. Lasers are always the answer.’

“What is this bullshit,” Ryan asked, dumbfounded, as he picked up the folder to look for anything else that could help him. The folder was empty. Ryan sat down on the floor, hard, and remained there for several minutes, tracing Shane’s stupid drawings. Finally, Ryan heaved himself up and began to tear the lab apart.

After several fruitless minutes of rifling through cabinets and tearing dusty sheets off of equipment, Ryan tore down a white sheet to find a large, copper device that looked vaguely like a gun. Perched on top was a pair of round goggles.

“If I had to guess what a laser looked like, this would be it,” Ryan commented to himself. The sound of his own voice in the silence was comforting. “I’ve gotta be losing my mind,” he continued as he put the goggles around his neck and heaved the laser into his arms before exiting the lab.

——————

Several hours later, Ryan was a sweaty mess, covered in flecks of amber. He had tunneled into the amber around a cathedral-like building without any definite plan. He had made his way to the front entrance of the building, his work becoming harder as the sun set. He was now in almost complete darkness, the red glow of the laser the only thing guiding him.

Ryan paused, lifting his goggles to rub at his eyes in exhaustion. His stomach grumbled loudly. Ryan ignored it, replaced his goggles, and continued working. He was almost up the stairs leading into the building, and he was determined to get inside. As he approached the entrance, Ryan froze, as the red glow lit up something on the ground inside the heavy wooden doors, permanently open. Still encased in amber was another note. Lying next to the note was a metal briefcase that looked very intentionally placed.

“You’re fucking kidding me, you assholes,” Ryan laughed, weariness evident in his voice. Carefully, Ryan melted the amber surrounding the note, until he could pry free the chunk of amber containing it. He worked quickly on the briefcase, the laser melting the plastic handle of the case in his haste. Ryan pried it free before holding up the chunk containing the note, struggling to read it in the dark. Sighing, he ditched the laser on the ground and walked quickly back into the lab, which was now shrouded in darkness.

“Please, please, please,” Ryan muttered, a desperate prayer, as he hit the light switch. For a moment, nothing. Then, the sound of a generator whirring and coughing to life, and the lights flickered on dimly.

“Oh, thank god,” Ryan sighed, collapsing into the first chair he saw. He held up the amber-covered note, now able to see Walter’s handwriting: ‘The second piece is inside the tank.’

“The second piece of _what_? And where’s the first—“ Ryan stopped, glancing at the briefcase. He immediately began to tear through the lab again until he found a drawer full of rusted surgical tools. Ryan grabbed a hammer and several scalpels carefully, returning to the briefcase. One good hit from the hammer shattered the amber, and Ryan dropped the other tools to pry open the case.

Inside was a chunk of metal the size of his face containing two dials surrounded by numbers and letters. Several colorful wires were sticking out opposite to the dials.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?” Ryan asked, turning it over in his hands and fiddling with the dials. The device glowed briefly at the turning of the dials.

“Okay, so, second piece…the tank!” Ryan remembered the sensory deprivation tank, running over to heave open the metal drawers. Inside, it was dry and dusty. At the bottom of the tank was another piece of metal, clearly made of the same material as the piece inside the briefcase. Underneath the metal was another yellowed note.

Ryan pulled out the note to once again see Walter’s familiar writing: ‘Piece four is buried under the magic tree.’

“First off, assholes, what happened to the third piece? Second of all, how the fuck did you know about the magic tree? And how the fuck am I supposed to get there?” Ryan groaned, pulling the second piece out and walking to where he had abandoned the first piece. Ryan lifted up the first piece in his other hand and almost immediately, the pieces flew together, molding immediately into one larger piece.

“Holy shit,” Ryan breathed. He turned it over in his hands, and the device whirred softly at his touch. Ryan set it down, and the device fell silent. He picked it up again, and the gentle whirring kicked in. Ryan’s stomach grumbled insistently.

“Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Food, sleep, then magic tree,” Ryan set the device down and again went to rifle through the lab, praying that Walter had left a stash of snacks somewhere.

——————

Shane walked into the lab, his steps heavy.

“Shane, did you sleep at all?” Astrid walked over, looking concerned at Shane’s disheveled appearance. His face was pale, dark smudges under his eyes. His hair was a disaster.

“Not really,” he admitted quietly. Astrid pressed some coffee into his hands, and he sighed, taking a sip. “Hey, Astrid,” he said as she began to turn back towards the lab.

“What’s up?” She turned back towards him, her expression gentle.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have lost it at you guys, I’m just so—“ he trailed off, looking desperate.

“Hey, now, it’s okay. I understand. There’s no need to apologize, this is a lot.”

“Yeah,” he croaked out, “A lot.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “Anything new?”

“Actually, yeah,” Peter spoke up as he entered the lab. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans and looked considerably more rested than the previous day. “Last night, Walter had a breakthrough. He built something a few weeks ago to track the wormholes as they open. However, sensing them as they happen can only get you so far. He thinks he’s worked out a way to track whether the wormholes are breaking through the multiverse or just our universe.”

“So Ryan—“ Shane began.

“We don’t know yet,” Peter looked apologetic. “We haven’t figured out yet if there’s any way to track residual energy. The thing Walter’s rigged up can only track wormholes as they happen. But we’re one step closer to building our very own wormhole-maker.”

Shane looked briefly disappointed, but his expression smoothed over as he quietly said, “thanks.”

Astrid smiled and reached over to squeeze his hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, I'm not trying to make this a realistic depiction of Shane and Ryan, the real people, cause that's a lil gross, it's more like...the personas they put forth in their shows that I'm trying to capture. 
> 
> But like I'm also twisting it into something new too. I just want Ryan to be a giant enigma of baby nerd and frat boy trash, ok?

It took Ryan four days to find a bicycle. He spent his time wandering the streets methodically under perpetually gray skies. Every car he saw was a rusted heap, and the city seemed to be completely deserted. The first day leaving the Harvard campus, Ryan was a jumpy mess. By day five, Ryan had developed something of a routine and was no longer terrified of the empty city streets which were littered with structures of amber.

The magic tree was located several miles from the Harvard campus. It was a massive, old oak tree that Ryan had spent his childhood playing on. He had played alone, concocting wild stories filled with magic and the supernatural, often playing until his mother had to hunt him down for meals, fondly scolding him for forgetting to eat.

As Ryan biked towards his old neighborhood, he was suddenly struck with the realization that his mom was gone. Whatever time or universe he was trapped in seemed to be utterly empty. Everyone he knew and loved was gone. Ryan rubbed at his burning eyes with one hand, sniffling, as he pedaled through city streets.

Upon arriving at the magic tree, Ryan immediately felt like an idiot, realizing he had forgotten a shovel or literally anything to help him dig. After a few moments just scrabbling at the dirt with his hands, Ryan heaved a sigh and stood up, surveying the small abandoned houses surrounding him.

After digging through decrepit wooden sheds and breaking into garages, Ryan finally found a rusted shovel. He figured it was likely late afternoon at this point. His phone had long-since died, not that he could find a signal or wifi anywhere.

Ryan spent the next several hours digging methodically around the base of the tree. Ryan was sweating and could definitely smell the fact that he had yet to find a suitable way to bathe. After almost five full days, he was feeling incredibly gross.

Ryan froze as his shovel hit something with a jarring clang. Dropping to his hands and knees, he began clawing dirt away from another metal briefcase. He pulled it out triumphantly before glancing at the quickly darkening sky. He knew he needed to leave soon if he was going to make it back to Harvard before it was completely dark. 

By the time Ryan was biking into the courtyard outside Walter’s abandoned lab, the sky was a hazy, overcast black. He abandoned his bike in the hallway, walking quickly into the lab. Upon opening the suitcase, Ryan found another hunk of metal and another yellowed note. This note was written by Shane: ‘Hi Ryan. The third piece is in your mediocre hiding place for spare keys :)’ followed by a sloppy doodle of two stick figures holding hands, surrounded by ghosts and aliens. 

Ryan huffed out a laugh, “Big guy, I’ve seen better drawings by kindergarteners.”

Abandoning the note, Ryan grabbed the hunk of metal, walking over to where the rest of the device sat. As soon as he was within a couple feet, the metal flew out of his hand and immediately attached itself to the rest of the device. It was now vaguely cylindrical and whirred loudly as Ryan approached.

“What the hell,” he muttered as the device came alive under his hands, glowing and humming. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

——————

Four more days passed, as Ryan continued his fucked up treasure hunt, slowly assembling the device which had now grown to the size of his torso. He noted that the device always seemed to turn on when he was close, and it positively came alive when he touched it. 

Ryan fell into a routine of sleeping in the lab, eating Walter’s hidden stashes of candy and pop tarts. When Ryan found a can of beans in a shattered, empty corner store, he almost cried with relief. 

Ryan woke up exhausted on his 10th morning alone, dragging his aching body off of the dusty couch in the back room of the lab. He grabbed an ancient jar of red vines and began stuffing them in his mouth.

“I am definitely getting scurvy,” he groaned through his mouthful.

Ryan walked into the lab and picked up the pile of notes. On top was a note from Walter: ‘The final piece is below you. You are where you need to be. This is the key to your return.’ He pocketed the notes and sighed.

“God, why does this shit have to be so cryptic?” he muttered, running a hand through his limp, greasy hair.

Ryan had spent the last evening combing through the hallways of Harvard in a fruitless search, looking for access to another basement. Upon returning to the lab that night, he read the note over and over, hoping to glean more meaning from it. “You are where you need to be,” he had murmured, looking around the lab. Suddenly he had realized: the lab. It was in the lab. He was where he needed to be. Ryan had been exhausted and decided he would thoroughly search the lab in the morning.

Ryan rinsed the lingering stickiness from his mouth with some water he had boiled on a rusted bunsen burner. He began to walk through the lab methodically, starting from one corner, weaving up and down the dusty floors, touching everything he could.

After a couple hours, Ryan lifted another white sheet off of a counter and saw a flash of red. He froze. Faded and cracked, on the side of the metal counter sat a red switch. He dropped the dusty sheet on the floor, coughing at the plume of dust rising from it. He slammed the red switch and heard groaning and creaking from behind him. A hole opened in the floor, revealing stairs leading into inky darkness.

Ryan let out a whoop, punching the air. He grabbed the cracked lantern he had found in the back room on his 6th day, cranking the hand-powered device frantically. A light flickered on, and Ryan quickly and carefully made his way down the stairs. He felt shivers run up his spine as he peered around the small, dark room. The shelves were filled with pickled body parts and creatures. Several metal containers emblazoned with biohazard symbols sat on the floor. 

Ryan moved forward cautiously, the weak light falling on a small wooden table. Right in the center was a familiar chunk of metal on top of a scrap of paper. He grabbed the paper first, feeling his stomach swoop as he recognized his own handwriting: ‘The device will get you home. Also, he loves you, dumbass.’

Ryan ignored the last part of the note; he knew that he was close. He grabbed the final piece and ran up the stairs two at a time, ditching the lantern on the floor with a crash. He hurried over to the machine, and the final piece flew out of his hand. The massive device finally looked complete.

“Now what?” Ryan walked carefully around the lumpy cylindrical device as it hummed softly. Taking a deep breath, Ryan finally squatted down and reached cautiously for the dials. He turned one and the machine started whirring and clicking loudly, growing warm under his hands.

“Fuck, I can’t make sense of these fucking controls. This has gotta be it, I just—“ Ryan grimaced, running a hand over his face. “Okay, okay, just trial and error, buddy, you got this,” Ryan tried to convince himself as he reached for the dials, turning them both at random. More of the same noises and heat, accompanied by a bluish-white light glowing through cracks in the metal.

Ryan spent several minutes fiddling with the device, growing frustrated when nothing seemed to happen. “If I can’t figure this out, maybe I just need to…to not think about it,” Ryan took several deep, calming breaths, feeling his mind go loose. “It’s just like an alethiometer, just be like Lyra,” Ryan whispered, reaching his hands to the device. After two simple adjustments to the dials, the device suddenly came to life, a pulsing light blinding Ryan.

“Okay, here we go,” Ryan said, determined, as he felt a familiar ringing begin in his ears. A brilliant flash blinded Ryan, who squeezed his eyes shut. Then, silence and darkness. 

Ryan cautiously opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the light and lack of dust. The lab was well-lit, sunlight streaming through the windows. The floor under his feet was clean and shiny. 

Ryan finally looked up to see Shane, Astrid, and Olivia staring at him, their faces slack with shock.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a heartfelt reunion and some LSD, baby!!

“Hey guys,” Ryan grinned, exhaustion clear on his face, which was smeared with dust and dirt.

“You look like shit,” Shane finally croaked out, still frozen with disbelief.

“Really?” Ryan huffed, rising from his crouch on the floor. The device still smoked gently on the floor in front of him. “I’ve been gone ten days—“

“Ry, you’ve been missing for a _month_ ,” Shane’s voice was strained and hoarse.

“Shit. Sorry, I guess I overshot?” Ryan walked slowly towards where the others were crowded around a counter.

Astrid seemed to be the first to break out of her daze, running to Ryan and hugging him tightly. “God, we were so worried,” her voice was choked with tears, but she was beaming as she pulled away.

“It’s good to have you back,” Olivia said softly.

“We should go tell the others,” Astrid sniffed, rubbing her eyes before giving Olivia a pointed look.

“We can discuss what happened later…Walter will be thrilled,” Olivia smiled at Ryan, gently grasping his shoulder before striding out of the lab.

Ryan and Shane looked at each other silently, as Ryan slowly approached the counter.

“Hey,” Ryan said quietly.

“I never thought I’d see you again. You asshole, I thought you were _dead_ , Ry, and I—“ Shane paused, staring at Ryan.

Ryan felt his stomach clench at the wet sheen glazing over Shane’s eyes. Shane rubbed at them angrily, as Ryan stepped close.

Shane folded his arms around Ryan, silently pulling him into a crushing hug. Ryan felt his heart pounding, and he felt dizzy with relief.

“God, you smell,” Shane suddenly huffed out into Ryan’s hair.

Ryan snorted, “Hey, man, I’ve been stuck in some apocalyptic bullshit universe trying to blast a hole in the multiverse, bathing wasn’t high on the priority list.”

“How? How did you get back, what happened to you?” Shane pushed away, holding Ryan at arms’ length, disbelief still clear on his face.

“It’s, uh, kind of a long story,” Ryan shrugged. “I’d rather wait for the others?” Ryan paused, looking at where his hands were still clenched in Shane’s shirt.

Shane pulled him into another tight hug, burying his face in Ryan’s hair.

Ryan laughed wetly, “I thought I smelled?”

“No worse than a summer day in LA,” Shane grinned, releasing Ryan again. “You look like you haven’t eaten in two weeks,” he frowned at this, reaching up a hand to trace the evident gauntness of Ryan’s cheek.

Ryan felt his chest clench as he closed his eyes at the touch. Shane pulled him in for a third hug, silent this time.

Ryan eventually pulled back with a grimace. “I’ve been living off of red vines and instant pudding. I would murder someone for a piece of broccoli.”

Shane pressed his hand to his heart, “Ryan Bergara, I never thought the day would come.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Fuck off. First, I need a shower immediately.”

——————

In the early evening, Ryan emerged from his apartment, blinking in the golden sunlight. He felt immensely better after a shower and meal. His previous clothes had gone straight into the trash, and he knew he should feel more self-conscious about leaving the house in well-worn pajamas. He was so thrilled at the familiar comfort that he couldn’t care less.

Shane was already waiting in the driver’s seat of the car. The drive to Harvard passed in relative silence, Ryan constantly fiddling with the radio to annoy Shane.

Upon entering Walter’s lab, Ryan took a deep breath at the sight of everyone waiting. Shane grabbed his hand briefly and squeezed it before sitting with the others.

“It’s good to have you back, Ryan,” Peter grinned.

“Yeah, it’s, uh, it’s definitely good to be back,” Ryan swallowed. “So, I’m gonna try to explain what happened, but I’m still not entirely sure. It’s gonna sound crazy, it really doesn’t feel real.”

“Reality is just a matter of perception,” Walter commented, as he sipped on a what looked like a root beer float. “Why don’t you start at the beginning? Where did you go?”

Ryan explained everything, eventually pulling the notes out of his pocket to show the others. Walter and Shane, in particular, seemed baffled at seeing their own handwriting. Upon explaining how he used the device, Walter hummed thoughtfully.

“Mr. Bergara, could you be so kind as to try touching the device again?” Walter asked. Ryan made a strangled noise.

“What?” Shane sounded flabbergasted. “He literally just got back, are you trying to kill him?”

Walter looked vaguely annoyed. “I have a theory that I would like to test. Ryan,” Walter turned towards him. “I’m not asking you to use the device right now. Just try approaching it, please.”

Ryan cautiously took a few steps towards where the device rested on a counter. When he was roughly a foot away, the device gently whirred to life. Ryan froze.

“There,” Walter sounded satisfied. “As I thought, the device seems to be keyed uniquely to your biomagnetic signature.”

“My what, now?” Ryan stared at the device, transfixed.

“Biomagnetic signature,” Peter explained. “People are basically giant balls of electromagnetic energy. It’s like your fingerprint. Everyone’s got their own unique energy signature.”

“I don’t get it,” Olivia looked perturbed. “Why would the device be keyed to Ryan? Who made it?”

Walter stood up and began pacing, gesturing intensely. “I believe, that when Mr. Bergara went to the future, he created a time loop. It’s a well-known paradox in time travel. Ryan went to the future and discovered the notes and the device, just to bring them back. We now have no choice but to hide the notes and pieces of the device for future Ryan! This is as close to fate as we can get.”

“But, like, where did they come from initially?” Ryan sounded baffled. “Someone had to create this thing, right?”

Walter quirked a smile. “That, my boy, is the paradox. We are trapped in a cycle, but where did it start?”

“Okay, but why don’t we just not hide the pieces or the notes?” Shane asked, looking at Ryan. “Aren’t we just forcing him to go through the fucked up goose chase by hiding it in the first place?”

“The problem is that it’s already happened,” Peter explained. “Ryan already went through it, even if it’s in the future from where we’re standing. We’ve apparently been tearing holes in reality, we shouldn’t try to rewrite time on top of that.”

“Oh god,” Ryan suddenly looked sick. “Those bodies...did I do that? And Shane?” He whispered the last part, looking desperate.

“I’m afraid there is a chance that you may have inadvertently caused those deaths,” Walter sat down, smoothing his lab coat over his knees before reaching for his root beer float.

“Hey, little guy,” Shane said gently, walking over to where Ryan stood. “You didn’t know. You couldn’t have known. We don’t even know for sure that it was you.”

Ryan let out a slightly hysterical laugh, “Do you see anyone else around here with a wormhole machine?”

Shane still looked serious, putting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, “There’s still a lot here we don’t know. We’re talking about multiple universes, who’s to say there isn’t another one of these things out there?”

“He’s right. I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff. Enough to know that anything’s possible,” Peter looked at Ryan before glancing at Olivia, who gave him a soft smile.

“Okay,” Astrid took a deep breath, crossing her arms. “So I get that Ryan in the future gets the machine from us. But if the machine was in pieces, how did Ryan get there in the first place?”

“Yes, that is a problem,” Walter slurped loudly through his straw, before pushing the empty glass away from him. He considered Ryan for a moment. “There is a chance that you have not done it yet. The machine is keyed to you. You seem to be the only one able to use it, so it stands to reason that you need to send your past self to the future.”

“But, I have literally no idea how to use it,” Ryan flung his arms out at his sides, clearly exasperated. “For all I know, I’ve been murdering people when I try to use it.”

“How did you use it to get back?” Shane asked, glancing down at Ryan, still standing close.

Ryan turned slightly pink at this. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. “I guess I just tried to turn my brain off—“

“Turn it off?” Shane looked amused. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your brain _on_.”

“Shut up,” Ryan grumbled, without much heat. “Like I was _saying_ , I just tried to sort of make my mind quiet? Like, at the time, I tried to think about Lyra reading the alethiometer? You know, like The Golden Compass?”Shane gazed at Ryan before breaking out into laughter. Ryan reluctantly huffed out a laugh.

“Holy shit,” Shane wheezed. “Of course you would think of some high fantasy bullshit to inspire you while blowing a hole in the universe, you’re such a little _nerd_ —“

“Oh my _god_ , shut up,” Ryan was now laughing fully. “And The Golden Compass isn’t _high fantasy_ , have you even read the—“

“Oookay guys, let’s bring it back in,” Peter was grinning at them.

Ryan huffed out a breath, still smiling.

“High fantasy,” Shane whispered again, not looking at Ryan.

“I’ll kill you in your sleep,” Ryan whispered.

“I’d like to see you try, little guy,” Shane sounded dead serious, his face stony. Upon making eye contact with Ryan, they both broke out into laughter again.

Olivia looked like she was suffering. “Guys, please, can we go back to discussing the device for a minute?”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Ryan still sounded slightly breathless, grinning.

Astrid made pointed eye contact with Shane, who felt his face burning. Shane narrowed his eyes at her before looking at Ryan, who was continuing, “Okay, like I was _saying_ , I basically tried to meditate, then just moved the dials and…” He trailed off, gesturing to make his point.

“It makes sense,” Walter commented, now methodically disassembling a pen in front of him. “If the machine is tuned to you, it reasons that you would be able to control it. The conscious mind would generally not be capable of understanding the complexity of such a device. However, by meditating, you are accessing your subconscious mind, and you are able to use parts of your brain that would normally be inaccessible.”

“Like Cortexiphan,” Astrid stated, looking at Olivia.

“Yes, I hadn’t thought of that,” Walter nodded at Astrid.

“Do I even wanna know?” Shane asked.

Olivia sighed, “It’s a long story, for another time.” She took her hair out of its bun, brushing a hand through it. “So, Walter,” she looked at him. “We need Ryan to use the machine now to send his past self into the future? Am I getting this?”

“No way,” Ryan interjected before Walter could respond. “I’m not killing more people.”

“We still don’t know if that was you,” Peter said gently. “If the machine responds to you and your subconscious thoughts, why would it kill people? That’s clearly not something you want.”

“I think I may have an idea,” Walter sounded suddenly inspired, standing up in excitement.

“Walter—“ Peter said warningly.

“LSD!” Walter clapped his hands together grinning. “I have already proven that the right cocktail of psychotropic drugs can open the mind, allowing us to more easily access parts of our brains that have been locked away.” Walter turned on a bunsen burner and began furiously rifling through cabinets.

“Are you…are you making LSD?” Shane asked in disbelief. “I can’t believe this shit just keeps getting weirder.”

“Uh guys, I’m not doing LSD…” Ryan looked nervous.

“Ryan,” Olivia stood up, walking towards Ryan. “Walter has helped me through some unique problems, and I trust him with my life. Trust me, I know this is scary. I know how surreal this all feels. But give Walter a chance. I’ve never met someone who can do the things he can; he’s a genius.”

“You ever tripped acid, baby?” Shane asked, grinning at Ryan.

Ryan looked at Olivia, searching her face. He seemed to come to a decision at her open and earnest expression. “Fine. But just this once. And if I don’t like it, Shane’s taking me home.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” Olivia gave him a small smile. “Just give it a chance.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Ryan, I want you to clear your mind. Think of young Lyra, letting her mind go blank, whilst staying alert,” Walter was walking slowly around Ryan, who was seated on a stool in front of the device. Ryan was hooked up to an IV cocktail of Walter’s devising, EEG leads glued across his head.

Ryan was adrift, floating through time. His eyes were closed against the onslaught of colors and light that had taken over reality.

The others sat nearby, silent. Shane looked torn between amusement and concern.

“I want you to follow my voice. Allow it to anchor you as you drift through time. I want you to let go of any focus, any emotions,” Walter’s voice was quiet, commanding. Ryan was visibly sweating, but entirely relaxed. “Now that your mind is clear, you need to focus on the pull of the device—“

Ryan’s hand slowly stretched out, his eyes still closed. The machine immediately hummed to life, glowing. Shane stood up, concern clear on his face, and Astrid grabbed his hand tightly.

Time seemed to slow as Ryan’s hand drifted to the machine, the soft humming rapidly elevating into a roar. Ryan touched one dial, and the light pulsed out into a blinding flash. Shane broke free of Astrid’s grasp, running towards Ryan. He put one hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“NO!” Olivia yelled, knocking her stool to the ground as she leaped up.

A deafening roar of sound and light, and Ryan and Shane disappeared, leaving the IV dripping onto the floor, the EEG leads abandoned in a heap. Less than a second of silence passed, everyone frozen in horror. Then, another roar, and Ryan and Shane were back, standing where they had been, clutching each other’s arms, the machine smoking on the floor in front of them.

“Fantastic,” Walter grinned wildly.

Ryan and Shane looked dumbfounded, still clutching each other.

“Olivia,” Ryan sounded breathless, still clearly feeling the LSD. “We saw you, but—“

“It wasn’t you,” Shane sounded slightly breathless as well, his eyebrows drawn together in bafflement. He seemed to slowly adjust, gently disentangling himself from Ryan, who looked dazed.

“Do you think it was—“ Peter began to ask, looking at Olivia.

“I don’t know,” Olivia looked stressed at the mention of her alternate self.

“Tell us what you saw,” Walter said intently, putting equipment away. Astrid stood to help.

“We were in some military building, I think?” Shane began, sounding uncertain. “We were dodging armed military guys when we heard you,” he looked at Olivia. “I guess I just figured we traveled in time? But we turned this corner, and it was you, but it definitely wasn’t you."

“You had red hair,” Ryan added, sounding dazed.

“Yeah, unless future you does a bad dye job and starts wearing combat boots, it definitely wasn’t you,” Shane finished.

“You remember the alternate universe we told you guys about?” Peter asked. “It sounds like you went there. Did you see anything else?”

“Not really,” Shane shrugged. “The other Olivia started yelling, we started running, Ryan did something with the machine, and then we were back here.”

Ryan was gazing at Shane, entranced, before slowly reaching up to pet his hair. Shane jumped back a little bit, staring at Ryan.

“Uh,” Shane’s voice cracked slightly. “Is there any way to sober this guy up, he’s definitely still tripping balls…”

——————

Several hours later, Ryan was huddled in an armchair in the corner of the lab, clutching a cup of coffee. Olivia had spent the last hour fully explaining their encounters with the alternate universe.

Upon hearing that Peter was from another universe, Shane had grown quiet, his face falling into a grim expression.

“So this…Walternate…has been trying to destroy an _entire universe_?” Ryan sounded slightly shaky, but his expression was clear and intent.

Walter nodded, his expression tremulous. “Yes, because of my actions, my…hubris…our entire universe is in danger.”

“And your alternate selves are okay with this?” Shane looked between Olivia and Astrid, his face still grim. “That doesn’t check out, knowing you two.”

“I don’t think they realize the full extent of what’s happening,” Peter was sitting on a countertop with a mug of coffee, his voice weary. “During my time over there, it became apparent that Walternate has the other Fringe Division pretty thoroughly brainwashed.

“Grief can make a person do unspeakable things,” Walter’s voice was still shaky.

“What I still don’t get is—“ Shane began, before a terrible flash of light cut him off.

Laying on the floor in the middle of the lab was a blackened husk of a body, all defining features burnt away. The body was clothed in a simple brown robe, slightly singed and smoking gently.

“Oh god,” Ryan looked horribly nauseous, his cup of coffee now broken on the floor. “No, no, no, not again.”

“Ms. Farnsworth, we have work to do,” Walter said grimly, pulling on latex gloves as he walked towards the body.

——————

Ryan was sitting on his couch, feeling numb. Shane had put something on the TV, bundled Ryan up in a blanket, and was now in the kitchen listening to a podcast while he cooked.

The car ride home had been utterly silent, both Ryan and Shane lost in thought. Ryan was exhausted after the day’s ordeal, his mind blissfully blank. Shane was trying to keep his mind clear, focusing on Ryan as a method of avoidance.

They both ate silently, ignoring the TV as it played softly in the background.

“Ryan,” Shane finally spoke up, taking a sip of beer before continuing, “You need to get me home.”

Ryan froze, a deer in headlights, gazing forward into space and avoiding Shane’s eyes. He mechanically began moving again, lifting his beer, his expression now shuttered, “I’ll try, big guy.” Ryan was relieved when his voice stayed calm and even.

“I know it’s not easy, and it’s…it’s not a priority for anyone right now…” Shane sounded uncertain, focusing on the bottle cap he was spinning in his hands. “But I need to see my cat. I need to tell Sara I’m not dead.”

“Is Sara…?”

“She’s my best friend. And my boss,” Shane quirked a smile at this. “I’m not close to my family, but she’s been the only constant in my life for years.”

Ryan’s blank expression melted slightly at this. “I’ll get you home,” he said quietly, still not looking at Shane.

——————

Ryan and Shane walked into the lab the next morning. Ryan looked tense, and Shane was yawning with exhaustion. Neither had slept well.

“Excellent, you’re here!” Walter was striding around in his maroon bathrobe, clutching a mug of tea. “I’ve had a breakthrough.”Peter and Astrid were standing over hand-drawn diagrams of the device, talking softly. Peter wore the same clothes as yesterday, presumably after spending the night in the lab with Walter. Olivia, who was updating Broyles, had yet to arrive.

“What’d you find?” Ryan asked quietly, after kissing Astrid on the cheek and accepting a mug of coffee.

“I modified my last prototype so it is now keyed into the electromagnetic signature of the device,” Walter was now fumbling with a package of pop tarts. Giving up, he tore the package open with his teeth, Peter rolling his eyes.

“Dumb it down for us,” Shane quirked up a corner of his mouth, looking at Peter.

“Basically, Walter designed a machine that can detect when this device is being used by reading electromagnetic energy,” Peter explained, gesturing towards a small contraption resting on the counter.

“When someone or something is moved through spacetime with the device, there’s a lingering residue. A combination of radiation and electromagnetic energy that’s unique to this device.” Walter added, his voice muffled around an entire pop tart.

“Tell them the best part, Walter,” Astrid said, smiling.

“I used this device on the most recent body as well as the samples from previous bodies. I have determined that your device did not transport those bodies,” Walter looked at Ryan, whose expression was clearly torn between relief and uncertainty.

“Okay, but if this device didn’t do it, then what did?” Peter asked.

“I believe I have a solution, but it may take some time…based on the detection device I already built, I should be able to design modifications that will allow us to track the origin point of these disturbances,” Walter looked satisfied, as he began rifling through cabinets.

“How long’s that gonna take?” Shane asked. “It’d be nice if we could get this thing to stop brutally murdering people sooner rather than later.”

Walter remained silent. He was plugging in an ancient soldering iron, seemingly lost in thought.

“Walter?” Peter prompted, at the lack of response.

“I am very busy right now, I need to think!” Walter sounded irritable.

Peter sighed. “How about we call you guys when it’s ready? You both look like you could use a day off,” he said, raising his eyebrows as Shane cracked another massive yawn.

Ryan looked at Shane for a moment before asking, “Wanna get blasted?”

“Absolutely.”

“Guys, it’s 9am,” Astrid sounded slightly horrified.

“Never stopped me before!” Shane replied cheerily.

——————

Ryan and Shane stumbled down a quiet city street in the bright, late-afternoon sun. They were leaving the only open bar within walking distance of Ryan’s apartment.

“Okay, but, like, here’s the thing,” Ryan stopped abruptly, swaying where he stood, his face flushed.

It took Shane a moment to realize Ryan had stopped, and he weaved his way back a couple steps to stand close. “The thing…?” he prompted.

“You don’t have any proof that Moth Man isn’t real,” Ryan sounded deadly serious, his expression intent. His eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing, betraying his less-than-sober state.

Shane rolled his eyes dramatically. “I don’t have proof of a lot of things, little guy.”

“But _dude_ —“ Ryan flung his arms out, setting himself off balance. He stumbled dangerously, Shane reaching out to steady him. “Dude.”

“Dude,” Shane was laughing.

“Don’t laugh, asshole, I’m being super serious right now.”

“Uh huh.”

“No, like, so _here’s the thing_ ,” Ryan was clearly tamping down a smile, trying to look serious. “If we can travel through time, like, if there are _infinite universes_?? Then why can’t I believe in Moth Man?”

Shane ruffled Ryan’s hair before continuing down the street, still clearly unsteady. “I never said you couldn’t believe, Mulder,” Shane said over his shoulder as Ryan began to follow him. “I just need proof. Besides, wasn’t traveling to the apocalyptic future enough weirdness for you?”

“You realize that makes you Scully, right?” Ryan grinned. “You ever read the Hitchhiker’s Guide?”

“Hell yeah, 1990s Gillian Anderson is a babe. And, like, a long-ass time ago. Why?”“Uh, current Gillian Anderson is a babe,” Ryan replied emphatically. “So, okay, you remember how there was this dude, like ruler of the universe or something, and he only believed in things he could see in front of him?”“Yeah, yeah, the dude who lived in a shack. It was great satire, whatever,” Shane scoffed. “I’m not saying I have to see something to believe it, I just need some supporting scientific evidence.”

“Listen, Scully, you have literally been to alternate universes, you heard Walter! If there are infinite universes, there are infinite possibilities.”

Shane staggered up the steps of Ryan’s apartment, holding the door open for Ryan as he replied, “Fine, so Moth Man might exist in another universe, but I have no proof he exists here.”“Why are you so desperate to be a skeptic after the shit we’ve seen?” Ryan was shaking his head as he dug through his pockets, searching for his keys.

“Look, just cause I don’t wanna fuck an alien—“

“Oh, fuck you,” Ryan was laughing as they finally burst into his apartment.

“I know I look like Bigfoot, ya dirty little monster-fucker, but—“

“Oh my _god_ , stop,” Ryan was wheezing.

Ryan’s phone began to vibrate, and after a beat, Shane’s rang as well.

“It’s Olivia,” Ryan said, before answering.

——————

“Oh my god, did you guys actually go get drunk?” Astrid asked in disbelief as Ryan and Shane burst into the lab, looking disheveled.

“Hey, we’re just trying cope with the, uh…” Shane began, furrowing his brows for a moment, thinking.

“The residual trauma,” Ryan supplied helpfully, as they both stifled laughter.

“Last time I checked, drinking was not exactly a healthy coping mechanism,” Astrid shook her head, smiling slightly. “I’ll get you guys some water.”

“Hey, I never said it was healthy, just said I was coping!” Shane called cheerfully.

“Are you guys doing okay?” Olivia asked quietly as she walked over to greet them. She was wearing a navy windbreaker emblazoned with “FBI” in yellow. Her hair hung loose and damp around her shoulders. “I know you’ve both been through a lot these past few weeks.”

“Yeah, we’re gucci,” Shane grinned.

Ryan rolled his eyes before turning to Olivia. “Ignore him. We’re good. Like, yeah, it’s definitely gonna be a lot to process at some point, but honestly, traveling to another universe? That’s pretty fucking cool.”

“Fuck any monsters lately, Mulder?” Shane whispered so only Ryan could hear.

“Madej, I swear to god—“

“What’re you gonna do, little man?”

“Don’t test me, asshole.“

Astrid handed Shane and Ryan mugs full of water. “Drink,” she commanded.

“Excellent, you’re here!” Walter exclaimed, striding out of the back room, thankfully wearing clothes this time. He strode over to a counter, picking up a small, rectangular metal contraption.

“Walter thinks that thing should be able to lead us to whatever’s been causing the deaths,” Peter said as he followed Walter out of the back.

“How does it work?” Ryan asked after chugging his water. “Like, will it just teleport us there, or do we gotta drive around following a signal or…?”

“I believe that you, young man, will be the key to this working,” Walter nodded at Ryan, who looked suddenly nervous. “I should be able to use this to determine coordinates within the multiverse. Then, it is up to you to transport us there using your device.”

“What if I can’t? I don’t wanna accidentally kill you guys,” Ryan said, his voice small and uncertain.

“Ryan, I’ve seen what you can do,” Olivia said intently. “We trust you. I know it’s scary, but you can do this.”

“When’re we doing this?” Shane asked.

“We need to wait until—“ Walter began, before the rectangular device in his hand began beeping rapidly, the sound culminating in a long, wailing tone, before going silent. “It’s ready,” Walter sounded surprised.

“What, _now_?” Ryan sounded terrified, his face tense with anxiety.

“We need to find who’s doing this,” Olivia said grimly as she twisted back her hair into a bun.

“So how do we do this? Do we need to be, like, holding hands or…?” Peter asked walking towards the device.

“As long as we are in close proximity, Mr. Bergara should be able to transport us. However, it might be easier for him if we are already connected.”

As the others gathered around the device, Ryan remained frozen. Shane walked back over to where he stood.

“Ry,” he said quietly, as Ryan stared at the device, sweat forming a light sheen on his forehead. “Hey, look at me,” Ryan looked up. “You don’t have to do this. We can walk away.”

Ryan swallowed, remaining silent. Shane reached out and pulled him into a hug, and Ryan let loose a shuddering breath. They remained still and silent for a moment before Ryan pulled back.

“Okay,” Ryan said. “I’m okay. Let’s do this.”

——————

There was light, sound, and then, nothing. Then, a rush of frozen, whistling wind.

The group stood in a circle around the smoking device, holding hands, eyes closed, looking like some bizarre cult. Olivia opened her eyes first and had a vivid flashback to the Jacksonville daycare, feeling an intense rush of fear and love that left her breathless. Peter seemed to sense her discomfort, squeezing her hand tightly before letting go. Slowly, everyone else began to open their eyes. They were standing in a forest, frozen leaves crunching under their feet, the trees skeletal. The wind blew fiercely through the group, carrying light swirls of snow.

“Where are we?” Ryan asked quietly, shivering.

Peter took a few steps, recognition slowly dawning on his face. “Reiden Lake,” Peter said darkly, pointing to a gap in the trees, where a sliver of silver ice could be seen.

“Wait, we’re where the first hole between worlds opened?” Astrid asked. “Why would we come here?”

Walter looked lost, his voice shaking, “This is the night I crossed over.”

“Walter, are you sure?” Olivia asked, wrapping her arms around herself, strands of loose hair blowing across her face.

“I’m sure,” Walter said shortly, as Peter squeezed his shoulder in reassurance.

“But there’s no one here,” Shane stated, his voice strained and uncertain. Astrid stepped closer to him, shivering, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, huddling close.

“Maybe we should—“ Ryan began to say before a flash of light could be seen distantly through the trees.

“Is that you, Walter?” Astrid whispered. “Is it happening?”

“It can’t be,” Peter replied quietly. “The lake is in the other direction…”

Olivia silently reached under her jacket, removing a gun.

“You brought a _gun_?” Ryan whispered, his voice high and taut.

“I’m a federal agent,” Olivia replied shortly, her voice quiet as she began to walk slowly, leaves rustling at her feet. “Stay behind me.”

“Jesus, we’re gonna die,” Ryan ran a hand over his face before bending over to pick up the device.

“Just stay quiet, and stay near me,” Peter said, following Olivia.

The group moved quietly through the trees, shivering in the cold. Then, another flash of blinding light, closer now. Then—

“Walter?” Peter asked, glancing at Walter behind him, before looking forwards. In an opening between the trees, a man with stark white hair and a black coat was hunched over a small glowing metal device covered in complicated switches and dials. The man looked up, quickly rising to his feet.

It was Walter.

Olivia stood closest, completely still. She pointed her gun at him. Peter and Walter stepped up beside her, while behind them, Ryan huddled in between Shane and Astrid.

“Peter,” the man said shortly. “You should not be here.”

“Is that…?” Ryan whispered.

“It’s Walternate,” Astrid’s voice was tense and quiet. Walternate picked up the device, holding it to his chest, taking a step closer to them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Walter stepped forward, his expression torn between anger and fear. “Do you realize the destruction you’ve caused?”

“Do you?” Walternate replied cooly, sticking one hand into his coat pocket.

“Yes,” Walter sounded furious, his expression agitated. “Of course I am aware of the irreparable damage caused by my hubris. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to atone for my actions. You, however, apparently do not learn from your mistakes.”

“I am merely trying to repair the damage caused by your selfishness,” Walternate replied as he began to move towards them.

“Stop, or I will shoot,” Olivia’s called, voice firm. She pointed her gun at his chest, her jaw clenched.

“Ms. Dunham, I would not advise shooting this device,” Walternate sounded unconcerned.

“Okay, _enough_. Look, I will blast us all into the Jurassic era if everyone doesn’t calm the fuck down,” Ryan called, stepping forward with the device held in front of him.

“ _Ryan_ ,” Shane hissed, grabbing his arm. “ _What are you doing_?” Ryan ignored him.

For a moment, Walternate actually looked surprised. He began to move, and time seemed to slow down for a moment.

“He’s got a gun!” Astrid shouted, starting to move forward. Time sped up, and two deafening shots fired out, almost simultaneously.

“Walter, NO!” Peter screamed, diving towards his father, who was crumpling to the ground, a dark stain rapidly spreading from his abdomen, turning his shirt black in the dark night.

Everyone seemed to be moving and yelling at once. Walternate was frozen for a moment, his face slack in pain and shock. The device was a smoking wreck in his hands, a dark stain running down his chest to pool at his feet. Then, a flash, and he was gone.

“C’mon, Walter, stay with me,” Peter’s voice was thick as he desperately ripped off his shirt, pressing it to Walter’s chest.

“Peter,” Walter said faintly, putting a shaking hand on top of Peter’s. “My son.”

“Ryan, get us out of here!” Olivia’s voice was strained, her face taut with distress.

Ryan was frozen for a moment until Shane grabbed his hand. A flash, and then they were gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryan is the spooky boy king of the multiverse

“Olivia, you have to stop blaming yourself,” Astrid said quietly. They were sitting next to each other in the hard chairs of a white waiting room. “You heard the doctor. Walter’s going to be fine.”

“I should’ve just shot him,” Olivia said, running her hands through her hair.

“You did. You couldn’t have known he had a gun,” Astrid put a hand on Olivia’s back.

“If it wasn’t for Ryan, Walter would be—“

“Olivia, stop. You’re torturing yourself for no reason. Walter’s fine. The only person to blame for him getting hurt is Walternate.”

Peter walked in, looking exhausted. “They wanna keep him a few more days. I’m gonna go shower and come back for the night.”

“Want me to stay?” Olivia asked quietly.

“I’ll be fine. So will Walter…But Walternate’s still out there. You have to find him and finish this.” Peter squatted down in front of her, taking her hands. “It’s not your fault, Liv. He might be dead if you weren’t such a good shot.”Olivia quirked a reluctant smile. “We both know I’m a lousy shot.” She sighed, standing up. “We don’t even know if Walternate’s still alive.”

“We’ve seen what the tech from their side can do,” Astrid said. “If anyone could survive an injury like that, it’d be him.” She stood up, stretching, before turning to Peter. “I’ll stay with Walter tonight. You need to get some actual sleep.”

Peter looked reluctant, but nodded, “I won’t argue with you there.” He kissed Olivia briefly before giving her a tired smile. “Go get ‘em.”

——————

Ryan and Shane were sitting in the back room of the lab on a hideous floral couch. Ryan was curled up in a corner, asleep, while Shane was stretched across the couch, his feet in Ryan’s lap. Shane scrolled through his phone mindlessly until it lit up, vibrating.

“Hey, Ryan,” Shane said quietly, putting his feet on the floor before scooting himself closer. “Hey, buddy, wake up.” In response, Ryan whined, not opening his eyes. “C’mon, little guy, get up. Olivia’s bringing Starbucks.” Ryan opened his eyes.

“Starbucks?”

Shane laughed. “I knew the sweet allure of a sugary $10 coffee would be too much.”

Ryan groaned, stretching. “Did she say how Walter’s doing?”

“No, she just texted. But I talked to Astrid a few minutes ago, and it sounds like he’s gonna be fine. Astrid’s gonna stay with him, so Peter can go home for a few hours.”

“And Olivia?”

“She should be here soon. I think she wants to hunt down the other Walter with you…” Shane glanced at Ryan, clearly concerned.

“How do we know he’s not dead? I mean, he was shot in the chest…” Ryan looked perturbed, his voice was still soft with sleep. “You’re coming too, right?”

“Ry, I dunno what good I’ll be. I mean, I don’t have a personal wormhole maker, and I’ve never touched a gun in my life and don’t plan to now…”

“Please come with. I could use the, uh, moral support?”

“Your word is law, wormhole king,” Shane grinned.

Ryan huffed as he stood up, “Nope, that’s a terrible title.”

“Spooky boy king?” Shane suggested, following Ryan into the lab. “King of the multiverse?”

“Better,” Ryan grinned.

Olivia strode into the lab, holding a tray of coffee cups, her hair pulled back into a messy braid. She wore street clothes, a hoodie and jeans under a leather jacket. Her face was pale with exhaustion and stress.

“You look awful,” Shane greeted her, taking coffees for him and Ryan.

Olivia snorted at this. “I get that a lot, in this job.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Ryan asked after taking a long chug of coffee.

“We need to find Walternate and make sure this is over,” Olivia said grimly. “The other universe has more advanced medicine and technology than our side, so there’s a good chance that bastard’s still alive.”

“Great, cool, awesome,” Ryan’s voice was high and nervous.

“We can do this,” Olivia said, her voice gentle. She walked over to Ryan and put a hand on his shoulder. “I just need you to get me there, then I want you two to stay behind me and avoid any confrontation. It’ll be dangerous, but we need to do this.”

“Wait, how do we know where we’re going?” Shane asked. “Are we doing the same thing as before, just tracking the other Walter’s device? And what’s the plan for when we get there? I’m not super on board with just shooting people…”

“I don’t like using guns either. I’m only bringing it as a precaution. And Peter is worried that Walternate’s device may be too damaged to track,” Olivia glanced between Ryan and Shane. “But I have an idea.”

“Care to share with the class?” Shane asked, and Ryan elbowed him.

“I think the first place we should start looking is in the other universe,” Olivia said, her wary expression belying the determination in her voice.

“Wait, haven’t you guys crossed over before? What do you need me for?” Ryan asked.

“When we crossed over before, I had help. But I was barely able to make it back here. I wouldn’t ask for your help if I didn’t need it. I can’t risk letting Walternate get away,” Olivia looked at Ryan plaintively.

“Okay,” Ryan took a deep breath. “So how do we do this?”

“I should be able to guide you where we’re going. I just need you to do the heavy lifting,” Olivia said quietly as she approached Ryan. “Give me a few minutes to focus. You’ll know when we’re ready.”

——————

They were standing in Central Park, in a damp tunnel under a stone bridge. Ryan was holding the smoking device, Shane and Olivia clutching his arms. Olivia stumbled for a moment, looking dazed.

“Hey, whoa, you okay?” Shane asked, reaching out a hand to steady her.

“Yeah,” Olivia sighed, her eyes slowly refocusing to land on Shane. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve done that…”

“Is this where we’re supposed to be?” Ryan’s voice was quiet. He was unzipping a blue canvas backpack to shove the device inside.

“Yeah, he should be close,” Olivia straightened, took a deep breath, pulled up her hood, and led the way out of the tunnel into the warm sun.

They walked in a tight group, quiet and wary. They were approaching the entrance to the park, where cabs were lined up on a busy city street. One cab driver was leaning against the hood of his car, talking on his phone, sipping a coffee. He glanced up, and the coffee dropped to the street.

“Hey, Henry,” Olivia said with a smile as they approached.

“Honey, I gotta call you back,” Henry said distantly, hanging up his phone. He approached Olivia, pulling her into a tight hug. “I never thought I’d see you again…Why are you back?”

“We need your help,” Olivia said as she pulled away.

——————

“Okay, so you want to break into this dude’s house?” Henry clarified, glancing in the rearview mirror at the three squished together in the back of his cab.

“We figure it’s the best place to start,” Olivia explained. “If he’s here, he’s probably in a hospital, but we need to look for—“

A siren wailed behind them, blue and red flashing. Henry swore.

“Drive,” Olivia commanded, pulling out her gun. Before she could say anything else, a black SUV screeched out of an alley in front of Henry’s car, stopping short.

“We’re trapped, I can’t get out of this,” Henry slammed his steering wheel before turning to look back at the others, his face taut.

“Hands up, get out of the car!”

At the voice, Olivia went tense. They all climbed slowly out of the car, hands up.

“Charlie,” Olivia breathed, her face blank.

Charlie and Lincoln looked grim, guns pointed at Olivia and Henry.

“Hey, now, I’m doing what you asked. There’s no need for the guns,” Henry said, his voice even and placating.

“What are you doing here?” Lincoln asked Olivia, slowly lowering his gun.

Olivia looked between Charlie and Lincoln, before quietly saying, “We need to talk. Somewhere private.”

——————

“You know this sounds crazy, right?” Charlie asked Olivia. “You’re trying to tell me the Secretary of Defense has been tearing holes in the universe and killing people? And you still haven’t even explained what these guys are doing here.” He pointed at Shane and Ryan. The three were sitting behind a cold metal table in an interrogation room. Lincoln was leaning against the wall as Charlie paced in front of the table.

“It’s kind of a long story,” Ryan said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But trust me, I wouldn’t be here if there was any other way. She’s telling the truth, that guy is dangerous.”

Charlie looked at Ryan, considering, before turning back to Olivia. His voice was quiet as he said, “The secretary has been missing for two days. He told Lincoln he was going on vacation, but we lost contact with him after a day. No sign of him anywhere.”

“Should we really be telling the suspects this?” Lincoln asked.

“Lincoln, this is Olivia. The timeline checks out,” Charlie spread his hands, glancing at Olivia.

“It’s not our Olivia,” Lincoln sounded frustrated. “And their story sounds nuts.”

“Look, guys, I’m a total skeptic,” Shane spoke up for the first time. “If you had told me a couple months ago that I’d be traveling between universes…? But here I am, acting like some sort of fucked up inter-dimensional detective. I saw the guy, your Walter. I also saw the bodies. He murdered a child. And like, maybe he didn’t mean to, but like…cool motive, still murder, y’know?”

Lincoln seemed to consider them for a moment, before coming to a decision. “I’ll look into it, see if anyone matching his description has made it to any East coast hospitals,” he turned to Charlie. “We should tell Liv.”Charlie groaned. “Normally, I’d be with you, but you _know_ she’d ditch her vacation. She needs a break.”

“Fine,” Lincoln sighed. “But I don’t like it.”

“Trust me, I don’t like this either,” Olivia replied darkly. “I wouldn’t have come back here if I didn’t need to.”

“They’re staying with you,” Charlie quirked a grin at Lincoln. “You’re the boss-man, and you don’t have a wife.” Lincoln sighed again.

——————

Olivia, Shane, and Ryan were camped out on the floor of Lincoln’s small living room. Lincoln had just left to pick up takeout.

“I don’t like this,” Ryan said uneasily, glancing around.

“Trust me, I know,” Olivia responded with a sigh. “Last time I was here, a lot of good people died. I barely made it out alive.”

“Well that’s comforting to hear,” Shane said darkly, and Ryan snorted.

Lincoln walked in, shaking his head at the surreal sight in front of him. “This job just keeps getting weirder,” he muttered, depositing the takeout in front of the others.

“Tell me about it,” Olivia gave him a small smile.

“So, you’re not gonna wanna hear this, but I checked in with our other offices and there’s no sign of the secretary. They’ll still keep tabs on local hospitals, but if he hasn’t made it to the hospital by now…” Lincoln trailed off, shrugging.

“Do you think he’s dead?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t know,” Olivia replied. “But either way, we need to make sure.”

“What if he didn’t even come back to this universe?” Ryan asked, picking through the bag of food.

“Is this thought now just occurring to you guys?” Lincoln sounded exasperated as he sat on the floor, digging into a container of noodles.

“We had to start somewhere,” Olivia said shortly.

“Could you do what you did before?” Shane asked tentatively. “Like, before you were focusing on that guy Henry when you guided Ryan, but why don’t we just focus on the other Walter?”

“I don’t like the idea of just popping up in front of that guy,” Ryan sounded worried, his mouth full.

“Shane’s right, it might be our only option at this point,” Olivia sighed.

“Besides, the guy was in kinda rough shape when he left. If he didn’t come to this universe, there’s probably a good chance he’s still hurt,” Shane said reasonably.

“For all we know, the guy’s on the other side of the globe, laying in a hospital in Thailand,” Ryan argued.

“Then we’ll find him,” Olivia said firmly. “We need to try again.”

“As much as I don’t like having you here, you all look like you need to sleep before tearing more holes in the universe,” Lincoln grimaced. “I’ll grab some blankets.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Hey, kid,” Charlie looked at Olivia. “Good luck.”

“As much as I like you guys, I better not see you again,” Lincoln quirked a smile at Shane, Ryan, and Olivia, who were gathered together in his apartment, Ryan clutching the device.

Olivia looked at Charlie, silently drinking in the sight of her dead partner. She swallowed before quietly replying, “Thank you.”

“Yeah, the part where you fed us takeout instead of shooting us was pretty cool,” Shane grinned. Lincoln snorted.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Ryan said, closing his eyes. Shane and Olivia stepped in close, grabbing his arms.

The three were silent for a moment, the device humming softly. Then, a crescendo of sound and light, and they were gone.

——————

Ryan opened his eyes. He was standing in a forest, bright sunlight streaming through the trees. The others slowly stepped away.

Ryan cleared his throat, before quietly saying, “Is this—?”

“Reiden Lake,” Olivia confirmed.

“And that?” Shane indicated a small wooden cabin, just visible through the trees.

“The Bishops used to come here when Peter was young,” Olivia explained, lowering her hood and pulling out her gun. “We should start with the house. Wait outside.”

“You’re nuts if you think we’re letting you go in there alone,” Ryan grimaced as he shoved the device into his backpack.

Olivia sighed. “Fine. But stay behind me.”

The three slowly crept into the abandoned house, dust thick in the air.

“Footprints,” Shane whispered, indicating tracks through the dusty floor. “Is that…?”

“Blood,” Olivia confirmed upon seeing the dark stain across the floor.

They silently followed the trail, freezing when a board creaked under Shane’s foot. They slowly continued. Ryan could feel his heart racing as his hands shook. Shane silently took his hand, not looking at Ryan. Ryan let out a shaky breath, squeezing Shane’s hand so tightly it must have hurt, but Shane just continued on after Olivia.

They turned a corner and Olivia froze, Shane almost crashing into her.

“Ms. Dunham,” the voice was weak and thready. Shane and Ryan peered around Olivia to see Walternate sitting against the wall, pale and sweaty. Strips of fabric were tied tightly around his chest, a gun held in his shaking hand. Next to him sat the twisted remains of his device.

“Put the gun down,” Olivia said steadily, pointing her own at Walternate. “No one else needs to get hurt.”

“You’ve ruined everything,” Walternate replied quietly. “I was going to fix my universe and save my son—“

“Buddy, save the speech,” Shane rolled his eyes. “Like, I get it, you’re the hero of your own little story, but you’ve killed a lot of people with your bullshit. Just give up already.”Walternate frowned.

“Why would you come here?” Ryan asked, stepping cautiously around Olivia to stand fully inside the room.

“It was not intentional. When Ms. Dunham shot this,” Walternate indicated the hunk of twisted metal at his side before continuing, “I fell through the fabric of spacetime. I believe I was deposited here because it is a soft spot between worlds.”Ryan looked at him silently for a moment. “If you put down the gun, I can bring you home.”

“Ryan, stay out of this,” Olivia said darkly. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“Olivia,” Ryan said, turning to face her. “Enough people have died. Turn him over to their Fringe Division. Let them take care of it.”

Olivia slowly lowered her gun. Walternate held his shaking for another moment before letting it clatter to the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

Ryan began to step forward, but Shane grabbed his arm, speaking to Walternate, “Wait. I need to know, why did you let me live? Why would you send me to another universe”

Walternate opened his eyes, his brows furrowed in confusion. “I did not do anything to you. The deaths were an…unfortunate…consequence of this device. I did not predict how much power would be required…But whatever happened to you was not my doing.”

Shane looked lost for a moment, but he slowly released Ryan. Ryan looked at Shane and Olivia for a moment, before giving them a small smile. “Be back in a sec.”

——————

Ryan was again standing in Lincoln’s living room. Walternate was laying on the floor, eyes closed.

Lincoln walked in from the kitchen, freezing at the sight of them, his bowl of cereal crashing to the floor. “Holy shit,” he breathed, staring at Walternate.

“He’s your problem now,” Ryan said grimly. “No offense bud, but I don’t wanna see you or him again. Like, ever.”

Lincoln nodded mutely, and Ryan was gone.

——————

Peter and Walter walked into the lab, and the others jumped up to greet them.

“Walter, it’s good to have you back,” Astrid beamed as she pulled him in for a hug.

Walter seemed momentarily overwhelmed by the reception, sniffing before he replied, “Thank you, dear. And thank all of you for helping me. I would likely be dead if it weren’t for you.” He nodded at the others.

Everyone settled back in, Ryan and Shane playing on their phones in the corner, while Olivia and Astrid sat next to the devices, Astrid taking notes on a piece of scrap paper.

“Walter, we’ve been working on something while you were gone, I was wondering if you could take a look?” Olivia asked.

“Yes, of course,” Walter quirked a smile, walking over to her and Astrid.

“I’ve been trying to figure out what happened to Shane,” Olivia explained, and Shane froze in the corner. “If it wasn’t Walternate’s device, then what sent him here?”Walter looked dumbfounded for a moment, before nodding vigorously. “Of course, of course, why didn’t I think of it? He is the only one who survived, so it stands to reason that he was sent here in a different manner than the others.”

“But Walter, who—“

“Mr. Bergara,” Walter stated. Ryan looked up, a deer in headlights. “His device is the only other possibility. Esther!” He exclaimed, turning to Astrid.

“Not even close,” she rolled her eyes.

“Please be a dear and grab the samples we collected from Mr. Madej.”Peter spoke up, “Walter, I thought you already tested all the samples?”

“The samples from the bodies, yes. At the time, I saw no need to test Mr. Madej’s samples. I drew false conclusions based on the other samples.”

Astrid placed several vials and glass jars in front of Walter, who grabbed the small rectangular device from the counter. A few moments of beeping later, and he nodded to himself, satisfied.

“As I thought. At some point, Mr. Bergara must have subconsciously pulled Shane from the other universe into our own.”Ryan looked horrified, staring at Shane, his heart pounding uncomfortably. “I didn’t mean to,” he began, his voice tremulous. “Shane, I didn’t know, I had no idea, I would never—“

“Hey, it’s okay, Ry,” Shane said quietly. “I know you wouldn’t have done this on purpose, I trust you.”

Ryan looked away, staring resolutely at the ground.

Peter cleared his throat. “So, I guess that’s case closed then?” He glanced around Olivia, who gave him a tired smile. He turned to Shane. “When should we get this guy home?”

Ryan continued to stare at the ground, as Shane watched him. Shane glanced at Peter. “I guess there’s not much reason for me to stay now that we have our answers,” he sounded uncertain. “So I guess whenever the little guy’s feeling up to it...maybe tomorrow morning?”

“But we can visit him, right?” Astrid asked.

“The risk is too high,” Walter said, reluctantly. “We cannot continue to open wormholes without consequence. This world is already damaged, and we risk tearing the world apart.”

“But we can get him home, right?” Olivia looked concerned.

“We should be able to risk one more trip, but after that…” Walter looked at Ryan reluctantly. “We need to disassemble the machine and hide it for the future.”

Everyone remained silent for several seconds. Olivia and Astrid were looking at each other, seeming to hold a silent conversation. Finally, Peter cleared his throat before speaking gently. “You guys get some sleep, and we can say bye in the morning.”

“Olivia?” Ryan finally spoke up, his voice small and slightly strained.

“Yeah?” Her response was quiet, her expression soft and sympathetic.

“I might need a hand tomorrow,” Ryan smiled, mechanical, clearly forced. “Don’t wanna accidentally blast this guy into the wrong universe!” He chuckled weakly.

“Hey, Ryan,” Shane looked concerned.

“We should go home. To my apartment. We should go to my place, and sleep, we need to sleep, gotta get some rest so we can do the thing,” Ryan stood up quickly, not looking at Shane as he walked out.

—————

“So are we gonna talk about whatever that was?” Shane asked as they sat on the couch, watching Ryan. Ryan had immediately turned his radio on upon getting in the car, blasting music the entire drive back to his apartment. He had remained silent as they walked in, avoiding Shane’s concerned looks.

Ryan looked pointedly at the ground, studying the carpet. “It’s fine,” he said. “Just tired.”

“Ry, it’s clearly not fine.”

Ryan turned to him suddenly, his face taut. “Look, you’re not exactly great at talking about your feelings, so why do I need to share? You’re leaving tomorrow, so why the fuck does it matter anyway?”

Shane’s previously calm expression cracked, folding into distraught. They remained silent for several seconds.

“Sorry,” Ryan said shortly, his voice thick as he looked away. “I’m just gonna go to bed.”

“Ryan, it’s 5pm.”

Ryan ignored him and stood slowly, mechanically walking down the hall to his room, shutting the door.

“Fuck,” Shane muttered, running a hand through his hair, briefly clutching it. He waited a moment, the apartment silent, before slowly making his way to Ryan’s room. He sat outside the door, leaning against it.

“Ryan,” he called softly. No response. “Ryan, please, don’t make me leave like this.”

The silence stretched, and Shane sighed. “Fine. I know I suck at talking about my emotions, I’m a repressed midwestern boy. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry I showed up in your closet, I’m sorry I have to leave,” Shane’s voice caught. He paused, swallowing against the lump in his throat. “You’re my best friend. I don’t wanna leave.”

Ryan sat perfectly still on his bed, clutching a pillow to his chest. He could feel the threat of tears and took several deep, even breaths, blinking rapidly against the burn in his eyes.

“I’m sorry too,” he said quietly, moving to sit on the floor next to his door. It seemed easier to talk freely in the safety of his room, unable to see Shane. “I’m sorry I brought you here. This is all my fault. And now—“ he paused, his vision blurring. He stuffed his face into his pillow, breath hitching, voice muffled as he continued. “It’s like the Golden Compass. It’s the worst part of the story. We’re gonna be stuck in different universes, right on top of each other, like we could sit on the same bench at the same time, but I’m never gonna be able to see you again.”

Shane buried his face in his hands, his chest clenching horribly. He knew he couldn’t speak without his voice betraying him.

Ryan lifted his face, sniffling audibly as he wiped at his eyes. He looked around his room, imagining himself living alone again. The thought was unbearable. He saw the pile of notes from his trip to the future abandoned on his bedside table and dragged himself close enough to grab them, paging through. He smiled momentarily at Shane’s stupid drawings, before immediately feeling worse. He could feel the lump rising in his throat, the burning of his eyes, threatening to choke him. Then—

‘He loves you, dumbass,’ written in his own handwriting. Holy shit.

Ryan whipped open his door, and Shane immediately fell into his room, laying on his back, looking up at Ryan, surprised. Shane’s eyes were damp, his glasses clutched in his hand.

“Okay,” Ryan said firmly. He took a deep breath. “This might be the last chance I have to say it. I want you to stay. With me. I’m not some helpless character in a fucking novel, I’m not just gonna sit here while my best friend leaves. Oh, also, I’m in love with you, asshole.”

“Oh,” Shane said quietly, his face open and surprised. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll stay,” Shane rolled over and stood up in an awkward clambering of limbs. He looked down at Ryan, who was a red-faced mess. With incredible tenderness, Shane reached up to rub some of the wetness from Ryan’s cheek. Ryan closed his eyes at the touch, taking a small, shuddering breath. Shane closed his eyes, speaking from the comforting darkness. “If it hurts this much just thinking about leaving? That probably means I shouldn’t leave. I don’t want to leave. I…” he took a deep breath, opening his eyes, still cupping Ryan’s face. “I love you.”

“Gay,” Ryan whispered.

“Damn right I am.”

They stared at each other, grinning stupidly before Shane heaved a sigh, looking away. “Sara’s gonna be heartbroken…”

“We’ll bring her with. Your cat too.”

“Ry, she has a life over there, she owns her own business. She has a girlfriend, a sister…”

“We can offer. We’ll go to your place tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally my first time writing anything even remotely romantic and like...it's cheesy as hell.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! If you stuck it out and are reading this, thank you!!!
> 
> Leave me some love, and come follow me on Tumblr at crawlacrossthesaltflats

Shane and Ryan were standing in the bright California sun on a quiet city street. A red brick apartment building towered over them. They stood silently, clutching hands.

“Oh my god, Shane, you asshole!” A tiny woman was running over to them, her dark curly hair bouncing. She dropped a canvas bag of groceries on the ground and flung her arms around Shane.

“Oof,” Shane grunted at the impact, before letting go of Ryan’s hand to hug her back. He pulled her out to arm’s length to look at her. “Hey, Sara,” he smiled softly.

“Shane, where have you _been_ , you’ve been missing for a _week_ ,” Sara’s voice was tense, but her face was relieved. “You total asshole, I thought you were dead.”

Shane grimaced, and Ryan whispered, “fuck, sorry.”

Sara turned to Ryan, looking him up and down appraisingly. “You must be one hell of a guy to make this emotionally repressed asshole ditch his life for a week.”

Ryan pinked slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Shane smiled, putting an arm around Sara. “He is. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

——————

“Madej, I swear to god—“

“I’m serious, Sara,” Shane interrupted her, his face open and sincere. They were sitting on a green couch in Sara’s apartment, holding beers. An orange tabby cat was curled in Ryan’s lap, purring. Shane had spent the last hour explaining everything that had happened since he left, Ryan occasionally jumping in.

“Is this a drug thing?” Sara asked. “Like, no judgment, kids, I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here. Like, did you join a cult?”

“Ryan,” Shane looked at him. “Take us somewhere.”

Ryan looked torn. “Dude, you heard Walter, we’re literally risking the universe with this thing…”

“Bergara,” Shane sounded fondly exasperated. “This is probably the last time we’re gonna be able to do this spooky sci-fi shit, so let’s do something fun with it.”

Ryan fought back a grin, “Okay, Scully, where do you wanna go?”

“You guys are disgusting,” Sara said cheerfully, taking a swig of beer.

“And don’t you forget it,” Shane replied emphatically before turning back to Ryan. “How about Thailand? Sara’s always wanted to go.”

Sara watched them quietly. She slowly set down her beer as Ryan pulled the device out of his backpack. “I’m starting to think this isn’t a drug thing,” she commented uncertainly, as light began to pulse around them.

They fell to the ground as the couch disappeared, Ryan clutching the cat, Shane clutching his beer. They were sitting in the sand on a deserted beach, nestled with lush greenery. The ocean stretched out in front of them, a deep, unreal blue, the soft sound of waves lapping at the shore.

“I didn’t think that through,” Ryan looked slightly embarrassed as he clambered to his feet, still clutching the terrified cat.

“Here, trade,” Shane offered his beer, taking his cat in return.

Sara was still sitting in the sand, dumbfounded, gazing around her.

“See?” Shane offered her a hand. “Not a drug thing.”

Sara let Shane pull her to her feet, brushing sand off her shorts. “Holy shit,” she breathed, turning in circles, gazing around her. “You guys are actually like the gay, millennial version of Mulder and Scully.”

“Does that make you Skinner?” Shane grinned at her.

Sara scoffed. “Absolutely not, I’d be one of the lone gunmen.” She looked at Ryan, considering, before turning back to Shane. “So you finally found someone to put up with you. Why am I not surprised he’s some sort of spooky inter-dimensional badass.”

Shane snorted. “Trust me, there’s nothing badass about a five-foot-tall man who cries during horror movies.”

“Hey, that was literally _one time_ ,” Ryan protested. “Also, I’m 5’10”.”

“Still tiny,” Shane retorted.

Sara grinned, her smile softening into something gentle as she looked at Shane. “I’m happy for you,” she said quietly. “Really.”

“Thanks,” Shane looked sheepish.

Ryan pointedly walked towards the water, giving them privacy to talk.

“Sara,” Shane continued, more serious. “You can come with. I’m going to stay with Ryan, but I’d like it if you came.”

Sara’s smile was apologetic, her voice still gentle. “It’s okay, Shane. I have a life here. I have my own epic gay romance with Kristin, and I couldn’t leave the shop.” Her smile turned slightly teasing. “It’s time for you to have your own gay adventures.”

“Maybe I could open my own gay coffee shop in your honor,” Shane’s smile was small and sad.

Sara snorted. “Madej, we both know you hate being a barista.” Shane began to protest, and Sara grinned, shaking her head. “I know you love the store and the people, but you’ve never been into the actual job.” She looked considering for a moment. “Keep protesting. Open a gay lit store or something. Fight the good fight, Madej.”

Shane’s smile broadened. “I will…” he paused, uncertain. “You’ll be okay?”

“Shane, you know I’ll be fine. I have a good life. I love you, and I’ll miss you. Maybe we can meet in the same place every couple years, catch up. It’ll be like The Golden Compass, only less sad. You know I hate sad endings. This is a happy thing.” Sara said, her voice firm, her expression determined.

Shane snorted, “Christ, you and Ryan are both such baby nerds. I just…I feel wrong leaving you. You’re my best friend.”

Sara hugged Shane tightly. “You’re my best friend, too. You always will be. But it’s okay, you’re allowed to grow. You look happier than I’ve ever seen you. I’m happy seeing you like this.”

Shane pulled back, his eyes burning. “You’re happy? Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”

“Stop that,” Sara chided, gently pushing at Shane. “Remember, no sad endings.”

Ryan ran up, soaked head to toe, and Shane started laughing.

“Buddy, did you not think to at least take off your shirt?” Shane huffed.

“Whatever, I feel great,” Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

“We should get going. Don’t wanna disappear for a week like some people around here,” Sara said pointedly.

Ryan and Shane looked abashed.

“Oh my god, I’m just joking, guys,” Sara rolled her eyes. “C’mon, let’s go back to my place, and then you guys can go do more spooky shit.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay a few days?” Shane asked uncertainly.

“Shane. For the love of god, don’t make this some dramatic, drawn-out sappy ending,” Sara smiled. “Also, you’re taking your cat. Kristin has four fucking cats, I don’t need any more.”

“You’re totally a crazy cat lady,” Shane grinned.

“Watch yourself, Madej.”

——————

Shane and Ryan were sitting with Astrid and Walter in the lab, watching cartoons. Walter and Shane were drinking strawberry milkshakes.

“This is fantastic,” Walter looked delighted, fixated on the tiny screen of a dusty tube TV.

“This is actually pretty good,” Ryan agreed.

“Have you seriously never seen Adventure Time?” Shane looked flabbergasted. “What the hell have you been watching?”

Ryan looked defensive. “I dunno, man, I mostly just watch sports? I don’t watch a ton of TV.”

“You’re an enigma, Bergara,” Shane looked affectionate. "You’re the biggest nerd I’ve ever met, but you’re somehow a total frat boy, jock, disaster of a person.”

“Words can hurt, you know.”

Olivia walked in, smiling at the sight of them huddled around the TV. “We’ve got a new case. The body’s already on its way.”

“Excellent,” Walter stood up and began bustling around the lab.

“Should we go?” Ryan asked uncertainly.

Olivia gave him a slightly conspiratorial smile. “Well, you’re both technically still civilian consultants. We could always use the extra help around here.”

“It has been nice having someone else to look over my coding,” Astrid smiled warmly at Ryan.

Shane still looked uncertain. “I kinda wanted to start doing my own thing at some point. Like, not that I don’t like hanging with you guys,” he said emphatically. “But, like, I kinda miss just hanging out with queer kids?”

Ryan was gazing at Shane, totally besotted. “You’re unreal, you know that?” He shook his head. “Why not do both? You know, find a balance, or whatever. Help out here sometimes, and also do what’s important to you?”

“Both?” Shane asked.

“Both is good,” Ryan beamed.

———The end———

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted everyone to be gay and have a happy ending and a fulfilling life


End file.
